The NBA playoffs continue on Friday night with a virtual must-win situation for the Houston Rockets in Game 3 of their Western Conference first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers. Tipoff in Atlanta is set for 8:00 pm ET on Amazon Prime. Houston trails 2-0 after dropping each of the first two contests in Los Angeles.
Let’s dive into my Lakers vs. Rockets Game 3 prediction.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets odds
Money line: Lakers +290 / Rockets -360
Spread: Lakers +9.5 (-115) / Rockets -9.5 (-105)
Total: Over 206.5 (-110) / Under 206.5 (-110)
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets best bet: Lakers +9.5 (-115)
Yes, the Rockets now have home-court advantage after losing the first two games at Crypto.com Arena? But is a change of scenery really enough to justify favoring them by 9.5 points when they just lost Game 1 by 9 and Game 2 by seven? Probably not. Houston has been good at home in 2025-26, but don’t forget that Los Angeles is 25-16 on the road this season. Moreover, the Lakers have won four straight overall in this head-to-head series. After losing on Christmas Day, L.A. twice beat Houston by eight points during the regular season (100-92 on March 16 and 124-116 on March 18).
Los Angeles is without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, but other guys are stepping up. That LeBron James is rising to the occasion is — even at 41 years old — is no surprise. He went for 19 points, 13 assists, eight rebounds, and two steals in Game 1 before producing 28 points, seven assists, and eight rebounds in Game. Luke Kennard scored 27 points in the series opener, making all five of his three-point attempts. The Lakers are 5-0 against the spread in their last five games and 7-2 ATS in the last nine meetings between the two teams. The Rockets are 10-16 ATS in their last 26 overall.