Will the Texans be packing their bags?
Match point for the Lakers! The West Coast franchise leads 3-1, and with a win, LeBron James and his teammates could already clinch the series against the Texans. We have a tip and the latest odds for Game 5 between the LA Lakers and Houston Rockets! The visitors are suffering most from the absence of Kevin Durant.
The 37-year-old played in only the second game of the series and was absent again in the most recent game. It remains to be seen whether he will be able to step in again. KD’s absence has changed the dynamics of the Texas team, and one of the players now getting significantly more playing time is Jabari Smith Jr.
The forward has averaged just under 42 minutes per game so far in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, spending more than six minutes longer on the court compared to his previous appearances in the regular season. Even though his field goal percentage has dropped by about five percent in the postseason, he has still managed to increase his scoring average from 15.8 to 18.5 points. Given this, we believe the 22-year-old is poised to score at least 16 points in Game 5 between the LA Lakers and the Houston Rockets.
Furthermore, thanks to home-court advantage and the likely continued absence of Kevin Durant, we expect a home win for Coach JJ Redick’s team. Additionally, the game is shaping up to be a low-scoring affair. The series hasn’t been a scoring fest so far, and that’s not surprising.
With Luka Doncic out, the home team is missing the regular season’s top scorer, and as just mentioned, the visitors have to do without their season-leading scorer, Kevin Durant. Against this backdrop, the odds on a total of 212 points or fewer in Game 5 between the LA Lakers and Houston Rockets are a good bet. A threshold that has been exceeded in only one of the four games in the current series, and that was solely because that game went into overtime before a winner was decided.
LA Lakers – Houston Rockets Head-to-Head Record
The Rockets won the last matchup against LA 115-96 on their home court, ending a previous streak of five losses in this series. Furthermore, the Lakers’ home record against the Rockets is very strong: Twelve of the past 13 home games against the team from the “Lone Star State” have resulted in a win for the West Coast squad!
Bookmakers now expect this trend to continue, as the Lakers vs. Rockets betting odds once again point toward a home win.
LA Lakers – Houston Rockets Prediction
Although the hosts suffered a defeat in their last outing, they continue to dominate the series with a 3-1 lead. The hosts’ defense, in particular, can be described as highly efficient, as the visitors have only managed to score in double digits in half of the four games played in the series. However, Jabari Smith Jr. has been a consistent scorer for Houston.
The guard was selected third overall by the Rockets in the 2022 draft and, with 15.8 points, has already delivered his best seasonal scoring average in his fourth year in Houston. He is now seamlessly building on this impressive performance in the postseason, scoring 16 or more points in each of the four games against the Lakers so far, thanks in part to increased playing time.
Given this, we see sufficient value in the LA Lakers vs. Houston Rockets betting odds for him to score at least 16 points again. This prediction is supported by his strong performances against LA during the regular season. He faced the Lakers three times and significantly exceeded his season average with a scoring average of 18.6 points!
