Larry Ness' 15* Revenge Rout-NBA (6-3 in BKB since Monday)
My 15* Revenge Rout is on the LA Lakers at 10:35 ET. The Lakers are the NBA's highest scoring team at 107.8 PPG but no team matches the Magic when it comes to making three-pointers (407 on the year to-date), including an NBA single-game record 23 in Tuesday's 139-107 rout over the Kings in Sacramento. The Magic were an excellent road team last year and this year own the league's best road mark, going 15-5 SU and 14-5-1 ATS. The Magic have won their last five games (overall), including the first two games of this four-game trip (won 105-98 at San Antonio on Sunday, prior to beating the Kings). The Magic have a game at Denver tomorrow night, before returning home to host the Celtics on Jan 22 (tough stretch). As for the Lakers, it's been a year of ATS streaks. They opened 7-0 (6-1 ATS) before losing at home to the Pistons on Nov 14. They followed that loss with seven straight wins (just 3-4 ATS) and then after a loss at Indiana, began a stretch of 10 straight ATS losses a few days later (on Dec 5), with a win over Washington. The Lakers were 7-3 SU in that ATS slide but beginning with a 100-89 win at New Orleans on Dec 23, won five straight ATS. LA had dropped four straight games ATS when it won at Houston on Tuesday (105-100) and followed that win (and cover) with an ATS win at San Antonio the next night, although the team lost 112-111. Kobe (27.2-5.3-4.7) is having another superb season and Gasol (17.7-9.2) has surely done his part. Bynum (12.6-7.8) is back healthy and after a stretch in which he failed to reach double digits in EIGHT of 14 games (Dec 9-Jan 6), has averaging 18.2 PPG over his last five. Some of LA's problems are that Odom (8.9-6.0) has been nagged by injuries all season, Farmar (7.9) is out for some time with a knee injury plus reserves Vujacic and Walton have both been in and out of the lineup. Orlando relies more on its starting five than any team in the leaguer, led by Howard (20.2-13.8), Lewis (19.1-6.0). Turkoglu (16.9-5.3), Nelson (16.6-3.4-5.3) and Pietrus (11.7). Pietrus is out with a wrist injury (second time TY he's missed significant time) and his defense will be sorely missed (he would have guarded Kobe). The Lakers are 20-2 SU at home but because of 'high numbers,' are just 10-12 ATS. However, let's note that LA outscores its opponents here in the Staples Center by an average of 109.4-to-99.3 PPG. Playing with some "revenge" from a 106-103 loss in Orlando on Dec 20, expect LA to be in "top form" tonight and "cool off" the streaking Magic. Revenge ROUT 15* LA Lakers.