Lakers vs Rockets Prediction 3/31/25 NBA Picks Today

The Houston Rockets invade the crypto.com Arena to battle the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night. Here’s a Lakers vs Rockets Prediction. This article will include a Lakers vs Rockets Pick.

The Houston Rockets have been on a tear as they’ve won 12 of their last 13 games overall, and they will be aiming for a fourth-straight victory after blowing past the Suns in a 148-109 road win last night. Jalen Green led the team with 33 points on nine of 17 shooting, Alperen Sengun added 16 points with nine rebounds and three assists, and Amen Thompson chipped in with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists. As a team, the Rockets shot 57 percent from the field and 18 of 31 from the 3-point line as they stormed out of the gates with 78 points in the first half to take a 29-point lead into halftime. This allowed them to cruise in the second half and rest their starters early. The Rockets will face the Jazz following this one.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers have been in a rut as they’ve lost four of their last six games overall, but they will be feeling better after sneaking past the Grizzlies in a 134-127 road win on Saturday. Austin Reaves led the team with 31 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists; Luka Doncic tallied 29 points with eight rebounds and nine assists, while LeBron James chipped in with 25 points, eight assists, and three steals. As a team, the Lakers shot 50 percent from the field and 19 of 43 from the 3-point line as they set the tone with 39 points in the first quarter to storm out to an early 20-point lead. They held off a late charge from the Grizzlies, who cut the lead to just four points late in the fourth quarter.

Why the Los Angeles Lakers will win

• The Rockets have lost each of their last 10 night games at Crypto.com Arena.
• The Lakers have won each of their last 10 home games against Western Conference opponents.
• The Lakers have covered the spread in each of their last nine games against Western Conference opponents.
• The Rockets have failed to cover the spread in nine of their last 10 games on the second leg of a back-to-back.

Why the Houston Rockets will win

• The underdogs have won each of the Lakers’ last five games.
• The Lakers have lost each of their last three games as favorites.
• The Lakers have failed to cover the spread in eight of their last nine games as favorites following a road win.
• The Rockets have covered the spread in each of their last six games against the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena following a win.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Lakers rank 30th in the league for field goal attempts per game this season (85.6).
• The Lakers rank 2nd in the league for free throws made per game this season (18.2).
• The Rockets rank 1st in the league for rebounds per game this season (48.6).
• The Rockets rank 1st in the league for offensive rebounds per game this season (14.8).

The Rockets are going to be slightly shorthanded with Tari Eason being rested for this one, while the Lakers are expecting to be at full health for this one.  The Rockets are playing their second game of a back-to-back set, but they are clearly the team in better form, as they’ve barely missed a step over the past three weeks. Meanwhile, the Lakers were struggling for a bit before their narrow win over the Grizzlies on Saturday. The Lakers open as favorites at home, but the Rockets are the team in better form. They beat the Lakers by 119-115 back on Jan. 5, so I am expecting a similar result with the Rockets coming out on top once again.

Peter Tran's Free Pick: Houston +5.5

Need More? Get Premium Picks