Rockets vs. Lakers odds, line: Proven model reveals Game 2 picks for NBA playoffs matchup on Tuesday, April 21

The Los Angeles Lakers, after an upset win on their home court, will host the Houston Rockets on Tuesday in Game 2 of their NBA playoffs 2026 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, who missed Game 1, is listed as questionable for Game 2 (knee).

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, you NEED to see what the SportsLine Projection Model has to say.

SportsLine's 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 2026 NBA playoffs on a sizzling 24-9 roll (73%) on top-rated NBA spread picks. Anyone following could have seen HUGE returns!

The model has simulated Rockets vs. Lakers 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is going Over on the point total, and it also says one side of the spread hits more than 60% of the time!

Who wins Rockets vs. Lakers, and which side of the spread hits in more than 60% of simulations? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of the Rockets vs. Lakers spread you should be all over, all from the model on a 24-9 roll (73%) on top-rated NBA picks!