NBA fans will be gifted a classic LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant matchup on Christmas, as the Houston Rockets (17-10) travel out west to take on the Los Angeles Lakers (19-9).
Both teams rank in the top 10 of overall offensive scoring. LA’s dynamite backcourt duo of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves has boosted their offensive rating to 117.8.
The Rockets’ 121.0 offensive rate is predicated on the growth within their young core of Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., and Reed Sheppard.
Oddsmakers are giving the slight edge to the Rockets, as Houston will be a 3-point favorite over Los Angeles at Crytpo.com Arena come Thursday night.
Rockets vs. Lakers odds, best bet
The Rockets’ recent lottery picks have surged to new heights so far this season.
Sengun has taken a leap, posting career-high averages in points (23.2) and assists (6.9), while Thompson is so crafty near the basket and puts plenty of pressure on defenders in transition.
Sheppard is making strides filling in at point guard for Fred VanVleet, by shooting nearly 44% from three-point range and providing Ime Udoka with valuable crunch-time minutes.
Durant’s 25 points per night on 50% shooting from the field have fit in seamlessly.
Despite these significant numbers, the Rockets have struggled on their current six-game road trip, losing four of their last five games. During this stretch, they have allowed 125-plus points to the Nuggets, Pelicans, Kings, and Clippers.
The Lakers, like the Rockets, have no problems scoring. Doncic is the NBA’s scoring leader, putting up 34.1 points per contest in addition to 8.8 assists, which is fourth-best in the league.
Reaves also came out of the gate red-hot, with a pair of 40-point performances and a 51-point explosion back in October against the Kings already under his belt.
Together, the two have tormented teams with their pick-and-roll continuity alongside DeAndre Ayton and their ability to make timely clutch buckets.
Many questioned how James would fit in after missing an early portion of the season with a sciatica injury. In 12 games with James, LA is 8-4, but at times, head coach JJ Redick has shown frustration with the team’s lack of defensive effort.
The Lakers rank 24th in defensive rating, allowing 117.4 points per contest, and are fresh off giving up a season-high 132 points in back-to-back losses to the Spurs and Suns.
Given James’ age of 41, and Durant not too far behind at 37, this very well could be one of the last battles between two of the best small forwards ever to touch a basketball.
This time around, neither future Hall of Famer is even considered the alpha player on their respective teams.
Betting on the NBA?
Doncic will likely draw a matchup of Thompson, while Reaves and Sengun will each have ample opportunities to showcase their skills.
I see a lot of offensive firepower on display for this game. The over of 230.5 is too appealing, but it’ll also be great to see a pair of former Olympic gold medalist teammates match up in primetime.
The Play: Over 230.5 total points (-114, FanDuel)
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Mike Turay is a sports journalist and editor who closely follows the NBA, NFL, college sports and UFC. He has demonstrated expertise in both NBA and NFL player prop bets for nearly three years. Mike is also highly knowledgeable about the sportsbook offer landscape, frequently trying and reviewing the latest apps and sites.