The surging Los Angeles Lakers look for their eighth consecutive victory tonight when they visit the Atlanta Hawks, with L.A. opening as a 4.5-point favorite on Bodog’s NBA odds.

The Lakers have been a different club since the All-Star Break and on Sunday they sent a message to the rest of the NBA by destroying the Spurs, the team with the NBA’s best overall and home records, in San Antonio, 99-83. L.A. had lost its first two meetings with San Antonio this season, and the Spurs were on a franchise-record 22-game home winning streak. The Lakers led by as many as 32 in third quarter before the Spurs threw in the towel and emptied their bench. Kobe Bryant had 26 to lead the Lakers, who can match their season-long winning streak tonight. Since the break, L.A. is allowing teams to score just 87 points a game.

Atlanta has struggled of late, going 4-8 since reaching a season-high watermark of 13 games over .500. The Hawks got back Josh Smith on Sunday after he missed a few games with an injury but they lost to the Knicks 92-79 despite Smith’s 17 points and 11 rebounds. It was Atlanta’s second loss in a row and the Hawks became just the second team in Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni’s three-year tenure to fail to score 80 points, prompting Coach Larry Drew to say that “Right now, we’re in disarray.”

The Lakers visit Philips Arena for the only time this year in the second-and-final meeting with Atlanta. Los Angeles took a 104-80 home triumph against Atlanta on Feb. 22 behind 20 points from Kobe and Pau Gasol’s double-double (14 points/10 rebounds).  Joe Johnson led the Hawks with 14 points. Atlanta has won three in a row over L.A. at home, however.

Can the Lakers make it eight in a row? Get the best props on this game at Bodog