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The Houston Rockets haven’t won consecutive games in three weeks, and the Los Angeles Lakers will look to keep that trend going as they seek a sixth straight victory.
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have gotten the Lakers rolling, and my Lakers vs. Rockets predictions expect the pair to lead L.A. to an upset win on the road.
Here are my best free NBA picks for this matchup of Western Conference contenders on Monday, March 16.
Lakers vs Rockets predictionLakers vs Rockets best bet: Lakers moneyline (+115)The Los Angeles Lakers have won five straight and eight of their last nine.
In that span, L.A. owns the second-best offensive rating (122.5), sixth-best defensive rating (110.1), and third-best net rating (12.3).
The Houston Rockets rank 19th in offensive rating (112.6), 20th in defensive rating (117.1), and 19th in net rating (-4.5) in that same span.
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have posted tremendous numbers, averaging 33.2 and 22 points per game, respectively, over that nine-game sample. The Lakers have the best player on the court and, given their recent form, the edge.
Lakers vs Rockets same-game parlayLeBron James has taken a deferential role to Doncic and Reaves in two games since returning to the lineup. In that pair of games, Doncic’s usage rating is 36, Reaves’ is 25.3, and LeBron’s is just 20.8. Doncic and Reaves have delivered huge numbers as a result, but the pair were on heaters even before that.
Doncic has been masterful across his last five games, averaging 56.4 PRA. In that span, he’s cleared the Over on his combo line four times and finished with exactly 47 PRA in the other.
Reaves has averaged 41.8 PRA across his last four, going for 30-plus in each contest. He’s scored 30-plus points in three straight, surpassing his combo line in that category alone. This line is comically low.
Lakers vs Rockets SGP- Lakers moneyline
- Luka Doncic Over 47.5 points + rebounds + assists
- Austin Reaves Over 29.5 points + rebounds + assists
Over the last nine games, no team has been more generous to opposing three-point shooters than the Rockets, who have allowed a league-best 40.9% shooting from beyond the arc.
Doncic has knocked down 4.8 triples per game across his last nine outings, canning 4-plus in five straight, while Reaves has sunk 3-plus in four straight games.
Luke Kennard is one of the deadliest sharpshooters in the NBA, and his long-range shooting has been an important part of the Lakers’ success over their last nine. In that span, Kennard has buried 2.1 triples on 48.7% shooting.
Marcus Smart also has the green light from beyond the arc, and he’s converted 2.3 of his 5.7 3-point attempts per game across his last nine, hitting multiple triples seven times.
Lakers vs Rockets SGP- Luka Doncic Over 3.5 made threes
- Austin Reaves Over 2.5 made threes
- Luke Kennard Over 1.5 made threes
- Marcus Smart Over 1.5 made threes
- Spread: Lakers +2.5 (-110) | Rockets -2.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Lakers +125 | Rockets -150
- Over/Under: Over 227 (-110) | Under 227 (-110)
The Houston Rockets have only covered the Spread in 15 of their last 45 games (-18.00 Units / -36% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Lakers vs. Rockets.
How to watch Lakers vs Rockets| Location | Toyota Center, Houston, TX |
| Date | Monday, March 16, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 9:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | Peacock |
Not intended for use in MA.
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