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.

This year’s matchup against Houston presents a similar uphill climb.

The Los Angeles Lakers are +550 series underdogs vs. the Houston Rockets at @BetMGM.

That's the fifth-biggest Round 1 underdog the Lakers have been since 1988, per @SOHistory.

L.A. lost the previous four series:

1993: Lakers 20-1 (vs. PHX)
1992: Lakers 15-1 (vs. POR)
2007:…

— Ben Fawkes (@BFawkes22) April 13, 2026

Despite securing home-court advantage as the higher seed, the Lakers are the only team hosting a first-round series that is not favored to advance. The unusual positioning underscores just how much their late-season injuries have impacted both perception and expectation.

Los Angeles had surged into playoff contention with one of the league’s best stretches late in the season, building momentum behind a high-powered offense and improved chemistry. But injuries to key contributors down the stretch have forced oddsmakers to reassess their ceiling.

Meanwhile, Houston enters the series as one of the hotter and more balanced teams in the field, justifying its status as a heavy favorite despite opening the series on the road.

Across the rest of the playoff bracket, the odds align more traditionally with seeding. The Cleveland Cavaliers (-565) are strong favorites over the Toronto Raptors (+425), while the Denver Nuggets (-325) are expected to handle the Minnesota Timberwolves (+265). In the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks (-290) are favored against the Atlanta Hawks (+235).

The Lakers, however, stand alone in unfamiliar territory.

Game 1 will provide the first indication of whether Los Angeles can defy the odds — or whether history will repeat itself once again.