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posted May 27, 2008 at 17:25 in NBA Free Picks

WHAT: Game 4 of the Western Conference Championship Series

WHO: Los Angeles Lakers (47-34-1 ATS) at San Antonio Spurs (56-26 SU, 38-44 ATS) -- regular-season records

WHERE: AT&T Center in San Antonio

WHEN: Tuesday, May 27 at 9 PM ET

BetUS NBA basketball betting odds: San Antonio -4, Total 192

Here are some of the NBA basketball sports betting trends, relative to this matchup:

* LA has won 14 of its last 17 games SU

* LA has covered two of its last seven games

* LA has played eight of its last 12 games OVER the total

* LA has won and covered 16 of its last 23 road games

* SA has covered four of its last five games

* SA is 5-0-1 ATS in its last six home games

* SA has played seven straight games UNDER the total

* SA has played four of its last five home games UNDER the total

In the HEAD-to-HEAD NBA basketball online betting trends:

* SA has covered five of the last seven meetings

* LA has won four of the last six meetings SU

* Five of the last six meetings have gone UNDER the total

* SA has won six of the last eight meetings SU as the home team

* Eight of the last nine meetings in San Antonio have gone UNDER the total

* LA has had the shooting edge in six of the last nine meetings

* LA has had the rebounding edge in six of the last seven meetings

* SA has made more three-pointers in nine of the last ten meetings

Call me crazy, but I continue to have faith in the San Antonio Spurs. I don't know if this team can continue to lay eggs on the road, only to be saved by home victories and one winner-take-all effort as the visitor, but there is no question that this is a great back-to-the-wall team. The last thing they want is to go down 3-1 and have to go back to the Staples Center, where they have blown a 20-point lead and been blown out by 30.

If this is any help, San Antonio has won the last three at home against the Lakers by double digits. And the thing that wasn't working for them - a combined effort from their own version of the "Big Three" - came back to life on Sunday. All of them (Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker) scored over 20 points, and Ginobili came off the bench to do it. That opens up an advantage over L.A.'s second unit, though truth be told, Ginobili is rarely in a second-string situation. But Michael Finley and Brent barry are a stronger duo than the Lakers have in reserve.

Certainly the Lakers deserve plenty of respect on the road; after all, they were 27-14 SU and 27-13-1 ATS away from home in the regular season. But San Antonio has now won 21 of its last 23 at home, and 13 straight playoff contests at the AT&T Center. I would not stretch things to imply that the Spurs are going to duplicate Sunday's 10-for-18 effort from three-point range, but they were unquestionably capable of improving upon the consecutive outputs of 39.5%, 40.5% and 34.5% in the previous three contests, going back to the New Orleans series.

Champions play like champions when the chips are down, or when they really need a victory. I'm perfectly willing to continue drinking the Kool-Aid, because the Lakers still need to demonstrate they're at that level. Let's lay the points with San Antonio, the four-point favorite in the BetUS NBA playoff basketball betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: SAN ANTONIO (-4)

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(Charles Jay of http://www.eBookies.com is a freelance writer and handicapper who not only can make his shots from the top of the key, but also contributes with gusto to the BetUS Locker Room)