00:00Houston and the L.A. Lakers, let's look at that series and that game in particular.
00:04Houston, five-point road favorites, over-under only 2-0-8-1⁄2.
00:09Another one of those series, it's kind of like, all right, we know Luka and Reeves not starting this series,
00:15but if you looked at it, you want a little NBA conspiracy, you know, which you know I'm into,
00:19they had two full days off in between games one and two and games two and three.
00:26It's taken them a week, Tom, to play three games in which they're not traveling between one and two.
00:34So, you know, is that a LeBron thing? Is that a Luka thing? Is that a Laker?
00:40They want the Lakers to be good, so they're going to give them all the time in the world.
00:45That's huge. You know, when your main player is 41 years old or your main player is hurt
00:50or your second main player is hurt, you know, it all kind of incorporates,
00:54it's okay, we're doing everything we can into helping maybe you guys advance on.
01:00So, I don't think that's by coincidence.
01:03I know other teams have a game off or a day off, but they have two off in between those
01:08two.
01:08And we don't know about games four, five, and six yet because they've yet to announce those.
01:11So, they could have that throughout this entire series, believe it or not.
01:15Right. This is maybe the most interesting series on, you know, the opening round,
01:20despite that the odds not suggesting it, the Rockets sitting at minus 575,
01:24despite the fact that they don't have home court.
01:26And it really comes down to, Scott, I think it has to be the Lakers have to split the first
01:32two games.
01:32They have to get one of the wins at home if they want to have any shot in the series.
01:36Now, we know to your point that Luka and Reeves are out for game one.
01:40That's confirmed. Technically, Durant is listed as questionable for the Rockets.
01:45You know, whether or not Luka and or Reeves play in game two is, you know, yet to be seen.
01:50But if they do play, I'm going to be interested in some Luka unders.
01:54That's where I want to start because I think the numbers will be inflated.
01:57That's where I'm just going to lean initially.
01:58But they have to win one of these first two games if they want to have any shot at extending
02:02the series
02:02because the longer it goes, the better chance they have if Luka comes back.
02:08Right. Yeah, this is one of those.
02:10I stay away from series.
02:11I don't want to lay five to one on Houston, right?
02:15I know they were playing good ball nine and one down the stretch, but they beat a bunch of lousy
02:19teams.
02:19To me, they've underachieved.
02:22And you don't know.
02:23I mean, the Lakers, with those guys coming back, if that's going to be the case,
02:26then they're more than capable of beating Houston.
02:29So this is like a kind of stay away series for me.
02:32And we'll see what LeBron.
02:34Here's the other numbers real quickly with them.
02:35But Houston, 22 and 23, in which one site called Clutch Games.
02:41That means it was a five-point game with five minutes left.
02:43They ended up losing more games than they won.
02:46Lakers are 22 and 8 in those situations.
02:50So, but again, without Luka, without Reeves, and an old-age LeBron,
02:56who might be able to carry them to one win?
02:58I don't doubt that, but if those other guys don't play, then I don't think it's going to happen.
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