NBA Playoffs Betting - Lakers vs Houston

Tonight we focus on NBA playoffs betting as the Los Angeles Lakers (72-20 SU, 48-44 ATS, 46-45-1 O/U) will be looking to put an end to their second round Western Conference semifinal series against the Houston Rockets (59-34 SU, 45-47-1 ATS, 44-49 O/U) when they visit their feisty counterparts at the Toyota Center in game 6 tonight at 9:30 PM ET.

The Lakers took a 3-2 series lead by routing the Rockets 118-78 in Game 5 on Tuesday to easily cover the spread as a 12-point home favorite.

Superstar shooting guard Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with a team-high 26 points while the final score played under the 197-point Over/Under total according to BetUS Sportsbook.

Pau Gasol added 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Lakers while fleet-footed point guard Aaron Brooks scored a team-high 14 points to lead Houston.

Despite their emphatic rout in Game 5, the surprising Rockets, who blew out the Lakers in Game 4, say, to a man, that they are not going out like chumps.

"We know it's time to man-up or else it's going to be golf time," said forward Shane Battier.

Here is a look at tonight’s key trends, followed by my in-depth analysis and NBA Free Picks.

The Lakers are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 Thursday games.
The Lakers are 10-4-1 ATS in their last 15 Conference Semifinals games.
The Rockets are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games following a SU loss of more than 10 points.
The Rockets are 28-9-3 ATS in their last 40 Thursday games.
The Lakers are 9-3 ATS in the last 12 meetings in Houston.
The Under is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings.
The Favorite is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings.

Here are the NBA odds on this game according to BetUS Sportsbook:
Los Angeles Lakers -9 -110
Houston Rockets +9 -110
Over 197½ -110
Under 197½ -110
Analysis: The Lakers sent an emphatic message in Game 5, routing the Rockets from start to finish in one of this postseason’s most complete games, not counting every Cleveland Cavaliers postseason thrashing so far.

The Lakers have owned Houston against the spread, going an impressive 7-3 ATS over their last 10 meetings and 3-1 over their last four.

However, the Rockets’ 10-2 ATS record in their last 12 games following a straight up loss of 10 or more points, leads me to believe they will come out tonight with some serious tenaciousness as they try to keep their 2008-09 season alive for another game.

Of course, the Lakers’ 9-3 ATS mark in their last 12 road games against Houston doesn’t look too god for Rockets’ backers, not to mention the fact that the favorite in this series has won seven of the last 10 meetings.

While I like the Rockets to cover the spread in a closer-than expected home loss tonight, I want to advise bettors everywhere that the best pick for this contest may be the Under with L.A. going Under the set O/U total in eight consecutive games as a road favorite between five and 10.5 point and 9-2 Under the O/U their last 11 as a road favorite.

Houston’s 7-1 Under mark in their last eight home games against a team with a winning record is also very encouraging as is their 6-1 Under mark in their last 7 home games.

In short, I think bettors will be looking at a Lakers win somewhere in the neighborhood of six or seven points while this game plays Under the set O/U total as Houston tries to slow it down against the high-powered Lakers.

Our NBA free pick: Under 197½ Total Points/Rockets +9 Points

Check out the current NBA betting lines and bet on all 8 first-round series now. Enjoy home court advantage with BetUS Sportsbook!