Point Spreads - NCAA, Final Four, College Basketball, NBA, MLB, World Series, NFL, College Football, BCS & Super Bowl Point Spreads

The Los Angeles Lakers will come off a days rest to take on the Houston Rockets at 8:30pm ET tonight at the Toyota Center in Houston. Both clubs are riding three game winning streaks coming into this Western Conference showdown, so, the wind will be taken out of one team's sail when the final buzzer sounds this evening. Check out BetUS.com for odds on all your NBA picks, including the Lakers versus the Rockets.

The ailing Rockets could use another win in the worst way. They are currently just a game and a half out of first place in the Southwest division, but star guard Tracy McGrady will be sidelined for at least two weeks and forward Ron Artest has missed four of the team's last five games with an ankle injury. It might be difficult for Houston to keep pace with the Spurs and the Hornets without these two major pieces in the lineup. A win against the Lakers would go a long way toward boosting team confidence, and it would keep their current win streak in tact.

Houston, 24-15, has been a middle of the pack offensive team this season, even with McGrady in the lineup, averaging just 96.7 points per game on 43.8 percent from the field. They are slightly better at home, hitting 98.1 per game, but they rely mostly on their stout defense. Rick Adelman's club has limited opponents to just 90.6 points per game at the Toyota Center.

Los Angeles has been the hottest team in the league over the last 10 games, going 9-1 in that span. Their 30-6 record is tops in the Western Conference, and they have a strangle hold on the Pacific division at this juncture, sporting an eight game lead over the second place Suns. Aiding the Lakers in their recent dominance is a schedule that had them playing at home in seven of their last eight games.

The Lakers are the highest scoring team in the league, and they know how to put the ball in the basket regardless of where they are playing. They are averaging 105.1 points per game in opposing arenas while shooting nearly 48 percent from the field.  Los Angeles also sports a 10-4 road record, which is the best in the Western Conference. They will pose a big challenge to Houston's defense, especially if Artest is absent from the lineup.

NBA Picks Betting Trend: The Over is 7-3 in Houston's last 10 games as a home underdog with a spread between 4 and 7.5.

BetUS.com's Los Angeles Lakers vs Houston Rockets NBA Picks: 

Lakers -4.5 (-110), Over 195.5 (-110), -200 (Money line)

Rockets +4.5 (-110), Under 195.5 (-110), +165 (Money line)

---