NBA Game of the Night – LA Lakers at Houston Rockets

BetOnline NBA Basketball Odds: HOUSTON -3.5, Total 201

Here are some of the NBA basketball betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* LA has won 19 of its last 24 games SU

* LA has won 14 of its last 19 road games SU

* HOU has won 11 of its last 13 games SU

* HOU has won its last 12 home games SU

Also…

* LA has covered four of the last five meetings

* LA has won 15 of the last 23 meetings SU

* LA has covered seven of the last nine meetings as the road team

* LA has won four of the last six meetings SU as the road team

* HOU has had the rebounding edge in eight of the last ten meetings

* HOU has made more three-pointers in five of the last seven meetings

The Lakers went into Portland without focus and wound up on the short end of a 111-94 pasting that really smarted. Now they are in a difficult scheduling situation where they have to travel tomorrow night for a game with the San Antonio Spurs. They have covered just once in their last five games, and observers are wondering whether that might have to do with the fact that they have broken out to a big lead in the Western Conference and may have lost their edge.

Houston, meanwhile, has had a day off to rest after beating Denver in the Pepsi Center and has a day off tomorrow before playing Charlotte. The Rockets enjoyed a great performance by Ron Artest in that win over the Nuggets, as he scored 22 points and registered four steals.

If the Rockets have been thinking about dealing Tracy McGrady, they have ample evidence to suggest they might be a tighter, more consistent team without him. McGrady has missed 30 games this season, during which time Houston is 22-8. That percentage of .733, projected over a full season, would place them fourth overall in the NBA.

The problem is that one of the clubs they would trail is the Lakers, who are tied with Cleveland for the best record in the league at 50-13. Los Angeles is going to be without Lamar Odom, who was suspended for a game because he left the bench area during a fight in the Portland game. Odom had been taking some bad shots lately, and scored just 15 points in his last four games. Phil Jackson will improvise.

This is actually a dangerous spot to give the Lakers points, because they are 5-0 ATS as a road dog this season. Yes, they have the Spurs tomorrow, but the way Houston is playing, there will hardly be a look-ahead. Take the points with a team looking to atone for that embarrassment at the Rose Garden. It’s the Lakers, the 3.5-point dog in the BetOnline NBA pro basketball sports betting odds.

JAY’S PLAY: L.A. LAKERS +3.5 ***

(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)