Rosie O'Donnell -- I Don't Want Lindsay Lohan to DIE ... Like Whitney Houston

Rosie O'Donnell believes ... if Lindsay Lohan doesn't change her life ... she will end up just like Whitney Houston ... dead.

Rosie went back on the "Today" show this morning to expand on why she doesn't believe Lindsay should have been cast as Liz Taylor in an upcoming Lifetime movie ... or ANY role for that matter.

Ro suggested Lindsay is heading down a similar path as Whitney ... and believes the only way she can be saved is if she takes time away from the ruthless Hollywood machine.

Ro also explained why she feels obligated to speak out about Lindsay .... saying, "Watching Whitney Houston's funeral I remember thinking, 'Why didn't more people say what they knew?' We all knew."

She continued, "We watched 'Being Bobby Brown' ... it was like watching Sid and Nancy ... they were people in the throes of addiction. But all anyone cared about was that the show was getting ratings."