Our ratings lean toward the Lakers at home against the Rockets on Tuesday, December 29, at about 63%. That is a real edge, but the Rockets are far from out of it.
How the Win Meter reads
The Win Meter reads the Lakers 63%, with a projected score of Houston Rockets 111, Los Angeles Lakers 115. The rating gap is 6 points in favor of the Rockets, and home court and rest add about 101 rating points for the Lakers on top of that.
Readings in this range leave plenty of room for the other side. About 37 times in 100 games like this, the Rockets would win.
Recent form
The Rockets are 2-0 this season and 4-1 in their last 5 games, with an average margin of +5.4. The Lakers are 2-0 this season and 2-3 in their last 5 games, with an average margin of -3.2.
The Rockets' best recent win was 115-96 at home against LAL.
The Rockets were beaten 98-78 at home by LAL not long ago.
The Lakers' best recent win was 127-105 at home against GSW.
The Lakers were beaten 131-108 at home by OKC not long ago.
Injuries to watch
Out: Reed Sheppard (HOU), expected back Oct 24, 2026, Cameron Carr (LAL), expected back Oct 25, 2026, Adou Thiero (LAL), expected back Oct 25, 2026, and Jake LaRavia (LAL), expected back Oct 25, 2026.
The season series
In our records of recent meetings, the Lakers lead 8-4, with the Lakers outscoring the Rockets by an average of 3.4 points per game. The last meeting was LAL 98, HOU 78.