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The Houston Rockets find themselves in an unexpected position as they return home facing a 2-0 deficit to the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of Friday night's Game 3 tilt in Texas. Despite being without both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for Games 1 and 2, the Lakers took a commanding 2-0 lead thanks to more heroics from the 41-year-old LeBron James -- even when Houston's Kevin Durant returned to play in Game 2, but he's out for Game 3 in a bit of a surprise scratch.

Those looking to get into NBA betting, specifically parlay betting, should check out the same-game parlay we've put together for Lakers vs. Rockets Game 3 with odds from FanDuel Sportsbook and recommendations 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.

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Lakers vs. Rockets same-game parlay picks

  • Rockets ML
  • Over 205.5
  • LeBron James Over 23.5 points

Same-game parlay odds: +449

Rockets ML

There's reason to be concerned for Houston, especially with Durant out for Game 3, but the SportsLine model thinks a return to home court will do a world of good for the Rockets, who win in a vast majority of simulations. It will still be a long way back for the Rockets, but at least for Friday, the model is optimistic, even with Durant out.

Over 205.5

The Rockets should be more spirited on offense at their home court after two lackluster performances on the road. That alone should get us to this Over, which hits in nearly 70% of the model's simulations, good for an 'A' grade. The absence of Durant could make this a bit tougher, though.

LeBron James Over 23.5 points

We initially had a Durant prop here, but the Rockets will be without their star forward. With that in mind, we'll pivot to The King, who just scored 28 points in Game 2. James is projected to score 24.8 points in Game 3.