Lakers vs. Rockets prediction, odds, spread, Game 2 time: 2026 NBA playoff picks for Tuesday

The Los Angeles Lakers, after an upset win on their home court, will host the Houston Rockets on Tuesday in Game 2 of their 2026 NBA playoff first-round series. The West’s No. 4 seed, Lakers (53-29), defeated the fifth-seeded Rockets (52-30) 107-98 in Sunday’s Game 1. Los Angeles has now won four straight, while Houston has dropped two of their last three games. The Lakers are 24-16 all-time versus the Rockets in the NBA postseason. Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) remain out for the Lakers. Kevin Durant (knee), who missed Game 1, is listed as questionable for Game 2.

Tipoff is at 10:30 p.m. ET at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The latest Rockets vs. Lakers odds have Houston as a 5.5-point favorite, while the over/under for total points scored is 206.5. Before making any Lakers vs. Rockets picks, check out the Rockets vs. Lakers predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past eight-plus seasons. The model entered the first full week of the 2026 NBA playoffs on a sizzling 24-9 roll (73%) on top-rated NBA spread picks this season. Anyone following its NBA betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.

Now, the model has simulated Rockets vs. Lakers 10,000 times and just revealed its coveted NBA picks and betting predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and NBA betting lines for Rockets vs. Lakers: 

Top Rockets vs. Lakers predictions

After 10,000 simulations of Rockets vs. Lakers, SportsLine’s model is going Over on the total (206.5). Six of the Rockets’ last eight games have gone Over the total. The total has gone Over in seven of Houston’s last eight games against an opponent in the Western Conference and eight of the last 10 games the Rockets have played in April. 

The SportsLine model is projecting the Rockets to have six players scoring 10.7 or more points, led by Durant with 27 points if he’s able to go. LeBron James is projected to lead the Lakers with 24.6 points scored, as five Lakers players will score 10 or more points. The teams are projected to combine for 217 total points as the Over hits 62% of the time, making it a great selection for anybody targeting NBA parlay betting. See the Rockets vs. Lakers spread pick at SportsLine, and you can bet the Over in Rockets vs. Lakers at FanDuel here:

How to make Rockets vs. Lakers picks

After simulating each possession of Rockets vs. Lakers 10,000 times, the model also says one side of the spread hits more than 60% of the time. You can head to SportsLine to see the model’s NBA picks. 

So who wins Rockets vs. Lakers, and which side of the spread hits more than 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to back, all from the model that has returned well over $10,000 on top-rated NBA picks, and find out.