SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 25: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the Golden State Warriors during the first half at Chase Center on December 25, 2024 in San Francisco, California. 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 Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
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After a surprising Game 1 upset by the Lakers, the Western Conference first-round series between the Rockets and Los Angeles continues Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena.
With a likely closely contested high-stakes matchup on tap, we explore a three-leg same-game parlay that could deliver handsome returns on investment:
(Odds listed are best at time of publishing)
As just alluded to, the Lakers overcame their underdog status in Game 1 to record a 107-98 victory. Despite the fact the Rockets were down Kevin Durant due to the bone bruise in his knee, JJ Redick’s crew still had an uphill battle in front of them considering the absences of Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves due to their respective hamstring and oblique injuries.
Nevertheless, with Luke Kennard particularly stepping up as the starting point guard to deliver a game-high 27 points and all five starters recording double-digit scoring tallies, the Lakers had more than enough to tough out the win with the additional boost of a stellar third-quarter defensive effort that saw the Rockets limited to 18 points during the period.
Durant is considered a game-time decision for Tuesday’s contest, and Houston will certainly be going all out to avoid an 0-2 series hole heading back home. Head coach Ime Udoka and his staff have also likely made several adjustments to ensure Kennard and some of the other complementary players that exceeded expectations Sunday don’t hurt them to the same degree again.
Therefore, for the first leg of our parlay, we’re going to take advantage of FanDuel Sportsbook’s Alt. Spread feature and give the Lakers the benefit of an additional 7.5 points over the current five points they’re getting on the conventional spread.
On that note, it’s worth noting the Lakers have a +4.1-point average scoring margin at home since the start of the regular season, per Team Rankings, and actually went 10-8 straight up without Luka during the regular season. Meanwhile, the Rockets have just a +2.7-point average scoring margin on the road since the start of the campaign.
For our second leg, we’re honing in on LeBron James, who, despite the aforementioned prolific scoring effort on the part of Kennard, still is expected to be the most consistent beneficiary of the absences of his two star backcourt mates. Accordingly, LeBron stuffed the stat sheet in impressive fashion in Game 1, generating a 19-point, 13-assist double-double that also included eight assists, two steals and one block across 38 minutes.
Another heavy usage and playing time load is virtually certain for James in Game 2, provided the game remains competitive, as expected. During the regular season, the King also played well against Houston while shouldering less responsibility, averaging 30.0 points + rebounds + assists across 33.0 minutes while shooting a blistering 67.5%, including 50% from behind the arc, per RotoWire. He then proved that type of efficiency wasn’t an outlier in Game 1, when he went 9-for-15 from the field despite the additional defensive attention.
For our third and final leg we’re turning to the Rockets’ Jabari Smith, who projects for a productive game with or without Durant available. In the absence of his star teammate in Game 1, Smith provided a 16-point, 12-rebound double-double despite a subpar shooting performance that saw him go just 5-for-14 from the floor with a couple of ugly misses from three-point range.
Yet, the talented forward still easily exceeded the 20.5 points + rebounds number while logging a robust 43 minutes, and he could well be in for another very busy night Tuesday, given the stakes. Even if Durant plays, he’ll be less than 100 percent healthy, and Smith was able to average 22.8 points + rebounds per 36 minutes when sharing the floor with his teammate during the regular season, per RotoWire’s On/Off Court tool.
Smith enjoyed plenty of success over three regular-season games against the Lakers as well, averaging 25.4 points + rebounds across 38 minutes per contest. He also shot 53.7%, including 36.8% from downtown, in that sample, which offers some assurance that Sunday’s Game 1 struggles finding the net aren’t the norm for him against Los Angeles. Then, per NBA.com, Smith pulled in an impressive 59.3% of his 11.5 rebounding chances per game during the regular season, before posting an elite 85.7% conversion rate on 14 opportunities in Game 1.
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