Lake Show Life
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Los Angeles Lakers: Betting picks for first game vs. Houston Rockets

By Jason Reed

PORTLAND, OREGON - DECEMBER 26: James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets warms up before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on December 26, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON - DECEMBER 26: James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets warms up before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on December 26, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) /
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The Los Angeles Lakers have consecutive games against the Houston Rockets, starting on Sunday.

The Los Angeles Lakers are fresh off of a back-to-back at the Staples Center and are back on the road to take on the Houston Rockets on Sunday. This is one of two consecutive games against the Rockets, with the next game coming on Tuesday.

The Rockets have been an interesting case study this season. Many expected James Harden to be traded by now but the Rockets have actually been playing some pretty decent basketball. The addition of Christian Wood has been huge, John Wall has been better than advertised.

That makes this a compelling game to bet on. According to the Bet MGM lines on The Action Network, the Lakers are 2.5-point favorites on the road with a point total set at 222.5.

As part of the Lake Show Life Podcast, I pick both against the spread and against the point total for each game (albeit I did miss two. Hand up, that’s on me). My record on the year is a mediocre 9-7 and in this game, I am going with Lakers -2.5 and the over. You can hear my reasoning below:

I also dive into the Purple and Gold players of the two games against the Rockets. The purple player is a role player (no stars allowed) on the other team that the Lakers need to focus on containing to win the game.

The gold player is a role player on the Los Angeles Lakers that is primed to have a big showing against the upcoming opponent. With the consecutive games, these players apply to both games.

The purple player in this game is a sleeper pick: Sterling Brown. Brown has been so much better in Houston’s wins compared to Houston’s losses. We dive into the exact numbers and what to expect in the podcast.

The gold player is Dennis Schroder, who is coming up against a terrible defender at the point guard position in John Wall. I explain why I went with Schroder over other role players, such as Montrezl Harrell, in that segment of the podcast.

Next. Potential buyout candidates from league's worst teams. dark

Any long-time listeners to the podcast will notice right away that there is a pretty big change in the podcast as well. To start the show, I discuss the future of the podcast now that I am a solo host. A big thank you to my friend, Daniel Preciado, for helping start the show. It was fun.

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