NBA Betting Picks January 18 – Los Angeles Lakers at Houston Rockets
James Harden is on a serious run to win another MVP. It’s impressive enough that he’s scored at least 30 points in a remarkable 18 straight games, but he outdid himself over the Houston Rockets’ last two games by improving on his season-high point total.
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The Beard dropped 57 on the Griz and followed that with 58 two nights later in a loss to the Nets. Harden is averaging over 35 points per game and is the only player in the league above 30. Without LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers might by powerless to stop him when the teams hook up in primetime on Saturday.
Los Angeles Lakers at Houston Rockets
Date and Time: Saturday, January 19, 2019, 8:30 p.m. ET
Location: Toyota Center, Houston, TX
Opening NBA Odds: (Check Back Later)
Lakers at Rockets TV Coverage: ABC
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Odds Analysis
The Lakers will be without James for at least another game as he’s been ruled out and didn’t make the trip. They stumbled without him going just 5-7 since the groin injury shelved him on Christmas Day. The Lakers are trying to hold onto a playoff spot in the Western Conference, but recent losses to the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers, teams at the bottom of the East standings with a combined 19 wins, won’t do much for the club’s confidence.
A loss to the Mavericks in early December was a low-point for the Rockets, who saw their record fall to 11-14. That’s right around the time Harden went on his epic scoring rampage and the team responded. Houston won the next time out, beating Portland behind Harden’s 29 points, and the Rockets won their next four after that and 10 of the following 11 games with The Beard tallying at least 30 each time.
The run vaulted the Rockets into more familiar territory and it doesn’t look as though they are going to slow down. They have cooled off a bit since that torrid run splitting their last eight games, but Harden remains on fire and the over is 11-7 during his string of 30-plus point games.
Lakers
It’s been a struggle for the Lakers to find consistency without James and Rajon Rondo to supply the veteran leadership this team desperately needs. LeBron is progressing from his injury and could return as early as next week, and the Lakers are trying to stay afloat in the meantime.
Snapping a two-game losing streak by beating the Bulls, the Lakers were still less than impressive against another not-very-good team. But at least they had a better start, built a hefty lead, and held on in what Lonzo Ball called a must-win game. It looks as though the little Ball is trying to take on more of a leadership role in the absence of James and Rondo and he’s had quality games his last two times out with near triple-double in each.
Rockets
Say what you want about Harden, but it’s hard to score that many points that often in the NBA. Sure, he’s the guy that handles the basketball an absurd amount of time and he takes twice as many shots as anyone else on the team, but he still drops it through the hoop, and he’s been doing it at a ridiculous pace recently.
The Beard went for 58 points in overtime loss to Brooklyn on Wednesday, getting to the free throw line 23 times, which was one more try than the entire Nets team had. But Harden was upset that his Rockets couldn’t hold an eight-point lead with a about a minute to play in regulation. And he was more pissed about blowing a seven-point advantage in overtime. Still, 58 points is pretty impressive. Harden was 16 of 34 from the field, but only 5 of 19 from three-point range. He’ll find a way to get his points and getting to the line is a major part of that. Even with Harden going off, the Rockets need to have some secondary scoring and they got a boost with the return of Eric Gordon, who missed time with a knee injury.
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The Rockets are a thin group to begin with and they became thinner when Clint Capela went down. Capela was a major part of the squad and the only legitimate inside presence. His loss has been felt mainly on the defensive side and you can expect the Lakers to try and take advantage. LA isn’t a three-point shooting team so look for them to do some interior work with Kyle Kuzma stretching the defense. The Lakers couldn’t beat Houston in two earlier meetings with LeBron and Rondo so it’s a stretch to think they can do it without them. I like the Rockets and Harden to have a big game from behind the arc to subdue the visitors.
NBA Score Prediction: Rockets 117, Lakers 109
