Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers NBA Picks & Predictions 10/20/2018

Saturday, October 20, 2018

Staples Center

Get todays NBA odds and lines on this game.

The Houston Rockets travel to Staples Center to play the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, October 20, 2018. The opening line for this matchup has Los Angeles as 1.5 point favorites.

The Rockets have a regular season record of 0-1. They are 5th in the Southwest Division. They have a point differential of -19 as they average 112 points per game while giving up 131 per contest. The Lakers have an overall mark of 0-1. They currently are 5th in the Pacific Division. They total 119 points per contest and give up 128, which is a point differential of -9.

Valuable Houston Rockets Betting Trends

The Houston Rockets are 0-1-0 against the spread

The Houston Rockets are 1-0-0 against the over/under

Important Los Angeles Lakers Betting Trends

The Los Angeles Lakers are 0-1-0 against the spread

The Los Angeles Lakers are 1-0-0 against the over/under

Key Houston Rockets Injuries

10/17/18 PG Brandon Knight Undisclosed is questionable Saturday vs LA Lakers
10/17/18 C Nene Calf is questionable Saturday vs LA Lakers
10/11/18 F Marquese Chriss Ankle is out indefinitely

Key Los Angeles Lakers Injuries

No key injuries to report

Player Spotlight

Chris Paul averages 19 points per game in 32 minutes per contest. He averages 6 assists per contest and 5 rebounds per game. His field goal percentage is 50% for the year while his free throw percentage is 80%. James Harden comes into this contest averaging 18 points per game while playing 35 minutes per night. He pulls down 9 rebounds per game and dishes out 10 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 40% while his free throw percentage is at 75%.

Player Spotlight

LeBron James averages 26 points per game and he sees the court an average of 37 minutes per contest. He also averages 12 rebounds per contest and 6 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 56% and his free throw percentage is 89%. Kyle Kuzma averages 15 points per game while playing 29 minutes per contest. He grabs 5 rebounds per game. His field goal percentage is 33% and his free throw percentage is at 80%.

Useful Team Statistics

The Rockets allow 131 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 30th in the league. They also allow a 53% shooting percentage and a 40% average from behind the arc, ranking them 28th and 24th in those defensive categories. Opponents average 54 rebounds a game which ranks 23rd, and they give up 36 assists per contest which puts them in 30th place in the league. They force 12 turnovers per game which ranks them 10th in the league. Houston averages 112 points per contest this season, which ranks them 12th in the NBA. Their average scoring margin is -19 and their shooting percentage is 42% as a team, which has them ranked 23rd. Behind the arc they shoot 33% which is good for 15th in the league. They average 37 rebounds per game and 21 assists per contest, which ranks them 28th and 17th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 23rd with 11 per game.

Useful Team Statistics

The Lakers surrender 128 points per contest, which ranks them 29th in the NBA. Their defense allows a 44% shooting percentage and a 35% average from 3-point range, ranking them 16th and 19th in those defensive statistics. They rank 17th with 21 assists allowed per contest, and 24th with 54 rebounds surrendered per game. The Lakers are 24th in the NBA in forcing turnovers with 16 per game. Los Angeles is 6th in the league with 119 points per game this year. They are 9th in the league in shooting at 48%, while their average scoring margin is -9.0. They shoot 23% from 3-point range, which is good for 29th in the NBA. They are 18th in the league in rebounding with 46 boards per game and 10th in assists per contest with 23.0. The Lakers are 11th in turnovers per game with 15.

Advanced Statistics

The Rockets are 14th in the NBA in offensive rating with 108.8, and their defensive rating of 127.2 is ranked 29th. In terms of pace they are 11th in the league with 103 possessions per 48 minutes, and their effective field goal percentage of 51% is 14th. As a team they are 14th in the NBA in true shooting percentage with 55% and they shoot 3-pointers on 52% of their shots, ranking 1st in the league. Houston is 24th in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 9.7 times per 100 possessions while forcing 10 on the defensive end. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the season currently is 58%, which is 4th in the league.

Advanced Statistics

Los Angeles is 12th in the NBA in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 12.4 times per 100 possessions while forcing 12.4 on the defensive end. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the season currently is 51%, which is 15th in the league. The Lakers are 17th in the NBA in offensive rating with 107, and their defensive rating of 115.1 is ranked 24th. In terms of pace they are 4th in the league with 111.3 possessions per 48 minutes, and their effective field goal percentage of 52% is 9th. As a team they are 10th in the NBA in true shooting percentage with 56% and they shoot 3-pointers on 32% of their shots, ranking 18th in the league.

Who will win tonight's NBA game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take Houston -1.5

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