Pelicans host the Lakers in the play-in Tuesday night! We now continue our NBA odds series with a Lakers-Pelicans prediction and pick.
The Lakers have been one of the more inconsistent teams in the NBA despite being in the playoff race. They have the talent to win the NBA Title, but it has been tough for them to consistently put it together. They closed out the regular season winning two straight games and that followed two straight losses. The key for the Lakers in this game is Anthony Davis. He has been dealing with back issues recently, but he told reporters he intends to play against the Pelicans in this game after the Lakers' win against New Orleans in their final regular season game.
The Pelicans are an interesting team to look at in the NBA Playoffs. They have the talent to do some damage in the playoffs and they just narrowly fell to the play-in game after the Suns won and then the Pelicans lost in the regular season finale. They won four straight games prior to losing to the Lakers to fall to this spot. The Pelicans come into this game completely healthy which is massive heading into the postseason and particularly against a team as good as the Lakers.
Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Lakers-Pelicans Odds
Los Angeles Lakers: -1 (-108)
Moneyline: -112
New Orleans Pelicans: +1 (-112)
Moneyline: -104
Over: 223.5 (-110)
Under: 223.5 (-110)
How to Watch Lakers vs. Pelicans
Time: 7:30 pm ET/4:30 pm PT
TV: TNT
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Lakers Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Lakers are first and foremost an offensive team this season. Five Lakers average over double digits with LeBron leading the way at 25.7 points per game, but Anthony Davis is just behind him at 24.7 points per game. James also leads the Lakers in assists per game at 8.3. The Lakers are ranked sixth in the NBA in scoring offense at 118.0 points per game and then are tied for second in field goal percentage at 49.9% per game. They are eighth in three-point percentage at 37.7% from behind the arc per game which will be a huge key in this game.
The defense needs work and could become a massive issue. The Lakers allow 117.4 points per game which is ranked 23rd in the NBA and then they are ranked 17th in overall defensive rating at 114.8. Anthony Davis has done it all for the Lakers and their defense, leading the way in rebounds and blocks at 12.6 and 2.3 per game respectively. LeBron James also leads the team in steals at 1.3 per game.
Why The Pelicans Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Pelicans are more of a defensive team this season, making this matchup a clash of styles. New Orleans is eighth in the league in scoring defense, allowing 110.7 points per game. The Pelicans are also sixth in overall defensive rating at 111.9. Jonas Valanciunas leads the way for New Orleans down low with 8.8 rebounds and then he's tied for the lead in blocks at 0.8 per game. Dyson Daniels and Herbert Jones are then tied for the lead in steals with 1.4 per game.
The offense for the Pelicans has still been one that is above average this season. They are 13th in scoring, averaging 115.1 points per game, they are ninth in field goal percentage at 48.6% per game, but then they are fourth in three-point percentage at 38.3% per game. Six players on the Pelicans average over double digits on offense with Zion Williamson leading the way at 22.9 points per game, but Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum also average at least 20 points per game at 20.8 and 20.0 respectively.
Final Lakers-Pelicans Prediction & Pick
These two teams just faced each other to end the NBA regular season with the Lakers winning 124-108, and it sent the Pelicans tumbling into the play-in tournament. That most recent matchup should play a factor because it was two days prior. Both teams enter the game fully healthy and ready for the postseason. In this matchup, each team needs to just win and they are in the playoffs. All of the spotlight is going to be on the Lakers in the game and the public is going to back the Lakers too. However, with the Pelicans losing on Sunday and then playing again on Tuesday back at home, they have an advantage in this game because of that. This is a different season than the regular season and so many just expect the Lakers to flip a switch, and I'm not convinced in this game. The Pelicans have a perfect revenge spot right in front of them and should take advantage and win a very close game to advance to the first round against the Nuggets.
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Final Lakers-Pelicans Prediction & Pick: Pelicans +1 (-108)
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