The Rockets go for their 16th straight win on Tuesday against the hard-to-figure Thunder in Oklahoma City. The Rockets (49-13) lead Golden State by a half-game for the NBA's best record. The Thunder, who hold the West's No. 7 seed, haven't beaten a winning team in a month. But they're just 1.5 games out of the No. 3 seed in the bunched-up West.

Sportsbooks list Houston as a 4.5-point road favorite, up a full point from the opener. The Over-Under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 221.5, up three from the opener.

Before picking a side, you need to hear what SportsLine senior analyst Larry Hartstein has to say.

The veteran NBA handicapper continues to see things very clearly from an against-the-spread perspective. He is currently in the midst of a 31-20 run on NBA pointspread selections and has a strong feel for the Thunder, going 22-13 picking for or against them.

Part of his success: Hartstein has a vast network of Vegas sources and has been covering the industry as a sportswriter and analyst for two decades. He can spot a bad line a mile away. Now, he has locked in a play for Rockets-Thunder on Tuesday.

Hartstein knows the Rockets are 32-1 with James Harden, Chris Paul and Clint Capela in the lineup and that they've covered five straight road games. This team is so deep, it doesn't seem to miss Ryan Anderson, Brandan Wright or Joe Johnson.

Houston has committed a paltry 11.5 turnovers per game during its hot streak and ranks second in offensive efficiency this season, right behind the Warriors. Five key Rockets shoot at least 38 percent from behind the arc.

But this is one of those spots where desperate, talented home teams often rise up.

Although OKC (37-28) is just 8-8 since Andre Roberson went down with a season-ending injury, Russell Westbrook (25.3 ppg, 10.2 apg), Paul George (22.3 ppg) and Carmelo Anthony (16.9 ppg) are liable to go off in any game.

And remember, the Thunder handled Houston in the season's first meeting, winning 112-107 in OKC on Christmas. The Big Three combined for 75 points in that one, while Harden struggled with 7-of-18 shooting.

We can tell you Hartstein is leaning Under, but his stronger pick is against the spread.

Will Houston's dominance continue at OKC? Or will the Thunder ride their home crowd to an inspired performance? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of Rockets-Thunder you should be all over, all from a consistent NBA expert who's 22-13 on Thunder games.