We’ve officially reached the point in the NBA season where contending teams compete as if the outcomes actually matter – because they do. Those who appreciate high-effort NBA contests should be in for another one Wednesday night when the surging Los Angeles Lakers visit the Houston Rockets in an important Western Conference showdown. Tip-off is set for 9:30 p.m. ET from the Toyota Center.
The red-hot Lakers are searching for their seventh consecutive victory on the back end of this two-game series in Houston. They held off a Houston rally for a 100-92 victory Monday night to open a 1.5-game lead over the Rockets for the No. 3 playoff seed in the West.
The Lakers (43-25), who are 9-1 in their last 10, forced 24 turnovers while committing just 12 and held Houston (41-26) to 12 fourth-quarter points. Luka Doncic led the way with a game-high 36 points for L.A.
Afterward, Rockets star Kevin Durant, who was limited to 18 points and committed a pair of crucial late turnovers, told the media he shouldered the blame for the loss and expects more from himself in Wednesday’s rematch.
“I feel like I lost the game for us. It’s that simple,” Durant said “It’s on me, to be honest. I’m the offense. The opposing team is going to use all their resources to not let me get comfortable.”
Houston is a -2.5-point favorite and the Over/Under for total points scored is 222.5 at top sportsbooks in the latest odds for Lakers vs. Rockets.
In addition to this key NBA matchup, we’ll take a look at a strong SportsLine expert play on a late NHL game and reveal a major underdog that the SportsLine Projection Model believes could win outright in an NIT battle. Here is what to watch on Wednesday, March 18:
NBA best bets, where to watch
Lakers at Rockets
Time: 9:30 p.m. | Location: Houston | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Over 222.5
The SportsLine Projection Model is leaning toward the home-favored Rockets covering the modest number, but its strongest play is on the Over 222.5 points. The model sees at least 227 combined points hitting the scoreboard, sending this total Over nearly 58% of the time. This is a value position compared to the sportsbook implied odds of about 52%. The model also likes the Under 39.5 total points and rebounds for Doncic in the NBA props market.
NHL best bets, where to watch
Flyers at Ducks
Time: 10 p.m. | Location: Anaheim TV: ESPN+ | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Expert: Ducks -150 (Matt Severance)
SportsLine top NHL expert Matt Severance (36-20, +1,077.5 units) says he anticipates a solid situational spot for the Ducks on Wednesday night. He points out that the Ducks are a great home team, posting a record of 22-10-1 on their home ice. They also lead the NHL with 21 comeback victories on the season, and Severance is impressed with the emergence of rising star Cutter Gauthier, who has seven game-winning goals this season.
NIT best bets, where to watch
Saint Joseph’s at Colorado State
Time: 11 p.m. | Location: Fort Collins, Colo. | TV: ESPNU| Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Saint Joseph’s M ML +225
The model anticipates both a somewhat high-scoring and competitive late-night NIT tilt as the home-standing Rams welcome the Hawks in a nettle of 20-plus-win clubs that will look to extend their seasons with a coveted postseason victory.
The third-seeded Rams (21-12) went 12-5 on their home floor this season and surged late with an eight-game winning streak in the Mountain West before losing to San Diego State 71-62 in the conference tournament quarterfinals.
The Hawks (22-11) managed a 13-5 record and third-place finish in the arguably tougher A-10 conference and went 6-2 in their final eight road games. The model projects the underdog to cover the spread nearly 60% of the time, so you could definitely grab the points as the safer route to a potential winner. But it also likes the value on an outright win by the Hawks (+225), with a projected win rate of 38% outpacing the implied sportsbook odds of around 30%.
