Hornets @ Lakers NBA Sports Betting

BetUS NBA Basketball Betting Odds: L.A. LAKERS -7.5, Total 195.5

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

* NO has won eight of its last 11 games SU

* NO has covered two of its last eight games

* NO has played ten of its last 12 games UNDER the total

* NO has won four of its last six road games SU

* NO is 1-3-1 ATS in its last five road games

* NO has played six of its last eight road games UNDER the total

* LA has won its last six games SU

* LA has covered its last five games

* LA has played four of its last six games UNDER the total

* LA has won its last 15 home games SU

* LA has covered its last four home games

Also...

* LA has won four of the last five meetings SU

* The last five meetings have gone UNDER the total

* Twelve of the last 18 meetings have gone UNDER the total

* NO has covered four of the last six meetings as the road team

* LA has won 10 of the last 13 meetings SU as the home team

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

Just look at those Lakers now; they are on a pointspread roll, covering their last five games, each of which they've won by nine points or more. On Sunday it was a 100-86 win over Portland, as Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol combined for 45 points. The Hornets banged out a 92-77 win in Portland on Friday night, shooting 51%. They hit half their shots on Saturday night, but were turned back by the Denver Nuggets, 105-100. Tyson Chandler had a dust-up with Joel Przybilla of Portland on Friday and had to sit out a one-game suspension against Denver.

Luke Walton is one of the Lakers will not be available. His sore foot required him to see a specialist on Monday, and he is probably out for a couple of weeks. With Jordan Farmar already injured, this thins out L.A.'s bench, which was considered one of the team's strengths.

Pau Gasol hopes to repeat the defensive job he did on David West last time out, when he held West to just 13 points in five for 15 shooting. Chris Paul has averaged 23.5 points against the Lakers this season, but that has made little difference. It is fortuitous timing for the Lakers to be facing the Hornets right now. They have already won the two meetings in New Orleans, by margins of 13 and seven points, getting off to very big leads in both games. The matchup seems to look good for them, and maybe one of the reasons is that New Orleans is not the deepest team in the world, once you get beyond James Posey.

Sure, L.A.'s injuries leave them scrambling for depth, but the Hornets have been looking for someone to play that second guard spot all year, and that is one place where it is critical to have someone who can guard Bryant. Also, with people like Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Vladimir Radmanovic and Lamar Odom, they've got a lot of height to throw out there on the front line.

If the Lakers handled this opponent in the Big Easy, they can handle them here. We'll lay the points with Los Angeles, the 7.5-point favorite in the BetUS NBA betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: L.A. LAKERS -7.5 **

(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

(Charles Jay makes his share of shots from the top of the key as a contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)