Lakers enter playoffs as rare home underdog amid injury concerns
LOS ANGELES — The playoff picture is set, but for the Los Angeles Lakers, the outlook is anything but familiar. For the first time in decades, the Lakers will open a postseason series at home as clear underdogs. According to BetOnline.
ag, Los Angeles is listed at +475 to win its first-round matchup against the Houston Rockets, who are heavy -650 favorites. The Game 1 line reflects that disparity as well, with the Rockets favored by five points on the road at Crypto. com Arena.
It’s a stark shift for a franchise accustomed to entering the playoffs with expectations of a deep run. Instead, injuries at the worst possible time have dramatically altered the Lakers’ trajectory heading into the postseason. The Lakers’ +550 series price makes them one of the biggest underdogs in franchise playoff history.
According to historical odds tracking, this marks the fifth-largest Round 1 underdog position for the team since 1988. The previous four instances offer little encouragement — the Lakers lost all of those series. In 1993, they entered as 20-1 longshots against the Phoenix Suns.
In 1992, they were 15-1 underdogs versus the Portland Trail Blazers. A 10-1 deficit against the Suns followed in 2007, and in 2013 they were +650 against the San Antonio Spurs. Each time, the Lakers were eliminated in the opening round.