posted May 8, 2008 at 13:41 in NBA Betting Trends

WHAT: Game 3 of the Western Conference semi-final playoff round

WHO: New Orleans Hornets (56-26 SU, 50-31-1 ATS) at San Antonio Spurs (56-26 SU, 38-44 ATS) (Regular season records)

WHERE: AT&T Center in San Antonio

WHEN: Thursday, May 8 at 9:30 PM ET

BetUS NBA basketball betting odds: San Antonio -6.5, Total 183

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

* NO has covered five of its last seven games

* NO has covered seven of its last 12 road games

* NO has lost four of its last five road games SU

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

* SA is 4-9-1 ATS in its last 14 games

* SA has won 16 of its last 22 games SU

* SA has played eight of its last ten games OVER the total

* SA is 3-1-1 ATS in its last five home games

* SA has played three of its last four home games OVER the total

In the HEAD-to-HEAD NBA betting trends:

* NO has covered six of the last eight meetings

* SA has won 13 of the last 18 meetings SU

* Six of the last ten meetings have gone OVER the total

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

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

* NO has had the shooting edge in five of the last seven meetings

* NO has had the rebounding edge in four of the last five meetings

There were some things that kind of reversed themselves in Game 2 of this series. Tim Duncan, who was an awful one-for-nine in the first game, came back with 18 points and eight rebounds. David West of New Orleans, who had 30 points in Game 1, had just 10 in Game 2. Yet it was the same result - San Antonio was able to hang in there with New Orleans through the first half of play, then the Hornets pulled away like Big Brown in the third quarter, cruising to victory by 18 points after winning by 19 points in the series opener.

Chris Paul seems too much for Tony Parker to guard, and then when they put someone else on Paul, it creates a mismatch when they have someone like Mo Peterson in the game. And Peja Stojakovic has been an absolute game-changer, with 47 points on 61% shooting thus far. Duncan is finding that Tyson Chandler is one of the tougher defensive challenges he's encountered thus far. And since Chandler is really only interested in playing defense and rebounding, that is quite a challenge indeed.

San Antonio has thus far looked like the team that is the newcomer to playoff action, in that they can't play two halves of basketball, while New Orleans looks like the veteran team that has been winning championships.

Perhaps the atmosphere changes at the AT&T Center, where the raucous crowd and the Spurs' desperation may drive them to play a third and fourth quarter. Fundamentally, they are capable of handling the situation.

Of course, what must be considered with the Hornets is that they can easily play in the halfcourt, possess a point guard who can dish the ball and score (and who has 25 assists against just three turnovers in the series), and a guy in the middle who offers athleticism on defense. The Hornets continue to shoot with consistency (48% in game 2 - that's 11 of 16 games they've reached that level) and do not turn the ball over.

Plus, they have been a team that is usually unflappable on the road, generating 26-15 SU and 24-16-1 ATS records away from home. They can keep things within the number, and the expectations of a resounding San Antonio response on the part of BetUS oddsmakers gives us some room to move. So we'll take the 6.5 points as it is posted in the BetUS NBA playoff basketball betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: NEW ORLEANS (+6.5)

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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)