by Rod Pearson
Saturday, Apr 25, 2026
Game Time: 9:30 pm ET, Sunday, April 26, 2026
Venue: Toyota Center, Houston, TX
Where to Watch: NBC, Peacock
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Lakers +4.5, Rockets -4.5; Over/Under: 206.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Lakers +4.5, Rockets -4.5; Over/Under: 206.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Lakers +5.5, Rockets -5.5; Over/Under: 207.5 points
Season Record
Los Angeles Lakers: 53-29 (1st place, Pacific Division)
Houston Rockets: 52-30 (2nd place, Southwest Division)
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Recent Form
Los Angeles Lakers: 7-3 last 10
Houston Rockets: 6-4 last 10
Los Angeles Lakers vs Houston Rockets Preview and Analysis
The Lakers are entering the playoffs with a 53-29 record overall this season and they were 25-16 in their road games where they will be in this game. They are entering this game on a 6 game winning streak with wins coming against the Golden State Warriors, the Phoenix Suns, the Utah Jazz, and the Houston Rockets 3 times in a row. LeBron James led the team in points in that game with 29 while Rui Hachimura was next on the team with 22 points. Marcus Smart led the team in assists in that game with 10 while LeBron James led the team in rebounds with 13. They were 48.1% from the field, 41.4% from 3-point range, and 75% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 116.3 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 114.6 PPG against them. The Lakers have an ATS record of 49-36 this season and their O/U record is 42-43.
The Rockets are entering the playoffs with a 52-30 record overall this season and they were 30-11 in their home games where they will be in this game. They are entering this game on a 3 game losing streak with losses coming against the Los Angeles Lakers 3 times in a row. Alperen Şengün led the team in points in that game with 33 while Amen Thompson was next on the team with 26 points. Reed Sheppard led the team in assists in that game with 7 while Alperen Şengün led the team in rebounds with 16. They were 40.8% from the field, 28.2% from 3-point range, and 73.9% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 115.2 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 110 PPG against them. The Rockets have an ATS record of 36-49 this season and their O/U record is 40-44-1.
Lakers vs Rockets Prediction
The current betting odds have the Lakers listed as a 4.5 point underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Rockets have looked good in their games this season with their 52-30 record overall which had them in the top half of the West. They have looked great on their home court too with their 30-11 home record this season. Meanwhile, the Lakers have looked good in their games this season with their 53-29 record overall which had them in the top half of the West. They have been a good road team too with their 25-16 road record this year. This is game 4 of a 7-game series between the 4 seeded Lakers and the 5 seeded Rockets in the West for the 1st round of the NBA playoffs. The Lakers are entering this game with a 3-0 series lead after winning game 3 by a score of 112-108. The Lakers have been banged up in every game of this series but it really hasn't mattered. They opened the series as underdogs at home in both games, winning both of those games without Doncic and Reaves, and now they are off a road win in OT which pretty much put the dagger in this series. The Rockets needed to have an answer at home after losing both road games as a favorite and they have looked like a completely different team on their home court this year, but they had the lead late in game 3 and completely let it go, losing in OT. Now they are in a big 3-0 hole and they might not have the motivation in this one with the way they have played in this series since no team in NBA history has ever erased a 3-0 series deficit and went on to win. Kevin Durant has also been banged up in this series and just hasn't looked right in the games he played in. The Lakers are going to be motivated to end this series as quickly as possible so they have more time to get fully healthy for the next round and the Rockets have had a lot of trouble with the Lakers throughout the regular season too. Look for the Lakers to bring their best effort to sweep this series against a Rockets team that hasn't looked right. The best way to place a bet here is on the Lakers to cover the spread in this game.
Lakers Rockets Prediction: Our NBA Pick for Sunday, April 26, 2026 (9:30 pm ET start time) is Lakers 104 Rockets 99.
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NBA Betting Trends
Los Angeles Lakers: 14-6 ATS against Southwest division opponents. 10-5 ATS after successfully covering the spread in 3 or more consecutive games. 12-5 ATS off an upset win as an underdog. 35-25 UNDER versus good shooting teams - making 46% of their shots or more.
Houston Rockets: 14-24 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points. 7-14 ATS against Pacific division opponents. 3-6 ATS revenging a straight up loss vs opponent as a home favorite. 15-3 UNDER when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 60% to 70%).
Key Injuries
Los Angeles Lakers: L. Doncic (PG) Out - Hamstring. A. Reaves (SG) Day To Day - Oblique.
Houston Rockets: K. Durant (PF) Day To Day - Ankle. S. Adams (C) Out For Season - Ankle. F. VanVleet (PG) Out For Season - ACL.
Notable Quotes
“It’s tough to win on the road in the playoffs and even without KD they’re a great basketball team. And that was a huge test for us, especially in that moment when we’re down six.” - JJ Redick after his team’s win against the Rockets in the 3rd game of this series on Friday.
“It’s obviously a weakness of ours to close out and finish. The amount of mistakes or the type of mistakes are egregious and you can’t have those.” - Ime Udoka after his team’s loss against the LA Lakers in game 3 of this series on Friday.
Starting Lineups
Los Angeles Lakers
PG Luke Kennard
SG Marcus Smart
SF Rui Hachimura
PF LeBron James
C Deandre Ayton
Houston Rockets
PG Amen Thompson
SG Josh Okogie
SF Kevin Durant
PF Jabari Smith Jr.
C Alperen Sengun
Statistical Leaders
Los Angeles Lakers
PPG: Luka Doncic (33.5)
APG: Luka Doncic (8.3)
Reb/G: Deandre Ayton (8)
Houston Rockets
PPG: Kevin Durant (26)
APG: Alperen Sengun (6.2)
Reb/G: Alperen Sengun (8.9)
Coaches:
Los Angeles Lakers: JJ Redick (2nd season)
Houston Rockets: Ime Udoka (3rd season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
