Rockets vs Lakers Prediction, Picks & Best Bets for NBA Playoffs Game 2

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Life is funny. The one thing that made the Los Angeles Lakers underdogs is kind of the reason they won the series opener with the Houston Rockets.

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Kevin Durant’s absence sapped more star power from this Round 1 matchup — already down Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves — but unlike L.A.’s injured studs, Durant has a good shot of playing in Game 2 tonight.

My Rockets vs. Lakers predictions and NBA picks bank on a better showing from Houston tonight, with or without KD on April 21.

UPDATE: Added a prediction for who will win tonight.

Rockets vs Lakers prediction

Who will win Rockets vs Lakers Game 2?

Rockets: I bet the Lakers’ moneyline in Game 1, even before the news of Kevin Durant’s knee injury. If there was going to be a game in which L.A. came out swinging, it would be the opener. And boy did it. But balance is restored in Game 2 as Houston’s role players get on track and the Lakers’ support staff plummets back to earth.

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Rockets vs Lakers best bet: Rockets -4.5 (-110)

With the way the Los Angeles Lakers shot the ball in Game 1, it may not have mattered if Kevin Durant was healthy or not.

Los Angeles finished a blistering 61% from the floor, including 10-for-19 from beyond the arc. A well-rested LeBron James conducted a crisp L.A. attack that recorded an assist on more than 72% of its total buckets.

The Houston Rockets’ offense, on the other hand, was lost and untethered without the gravity of Durant. The Rockets were a chilly 38% from the floor, with an 11-for-33 mark from beyond the arc.
 
Los Angeles was able to be more aggressive when it came to double-teaming Houston’s secondary stars, and the Rockets missed KD’s ability to create when things broke down. Couple that with playoff nerves on the road for some younger standouts, and you can see how things fell apart.

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I expect it all to come closer to the middle in Game 2 as a potential letdown for the Lakers, who got a Luka-like effort from reserve-turned-starter Luke Kennard on Saturday.

Los Angeles won’t connect at the same…

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Publish date : 2026-04-21 23:28:00

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