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The New Orleans Pelicans welcome the Los Angeles Lakers to Smoothie King Center Tuesday. Tip-off for this Play-In Tournament battle is set for 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT). Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines around the Lakers vs. Pelicans odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions.
Season series: Lakers won 3-1
The Pelicans (49-33) finished 7th in the Western Conference, 2 games ahead of the 8th-place Lakers (47-35). The winner will claim the 7th seed in the playoffs, while the loser will host the 9-10 play-in game winner — Golden State or Sacramento — Friday in a one-game showdown for the No. 8 seed.
Not only did the Pelicans go 1-3 vs. the Lakers in the regular season, they went 1-3 against the spread (ATS), too. However, they won 4 of their last 5 games, but they did get upset by the visiting Lakers 124-108 Sunday as 1.5-point home favorites. New Orleans is 43-37-2 ATS on the season and 20-20 ATS at home, per Covers.com.
The Lakers, who won the In-Season Tournament, have won 6 of their last 8 games, including Sunday’s victory in NOLA, but they were just 4-4 ATS in the span. Los Angeles finished the season 38-44 ATS and 18-22 ATS on the road.
Lakers at Pelicans odds
Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 1:28 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Lakers -112 (bet $112 to win $100) | Pelicans -104 (bet $104 to win $100)
- Against the spread: Lakers -1 (-108) | Pelicans +1 (-112)
- Over/Under (O/U): 223.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Lakers at Pelicans key injuries
Lakers
- F Anthony Davis (back) questionable
- F LeBron James (ankle) probable
Pelicans
- None
For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.
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Lakers at Pelicans picks and predictions
Prediction
Lakers 118, Pelicans 112
Moneyline
BET LAKERS (-112).
Simply put, the Lakers have had the Pelicans number recently. Along with the 3-1 showing vs. New Orleans this season, the Lakers are 6-2 vs. the Pels over the last 2 seasons.
In the 3 wins this season, L.A. scored at least 124 points and it scored 130 or more twice. One of those victories was a 133-89 In-Season Tournament semifinal rout in Las Vegas with the Lakers being 2-point favorites.
And of course, the Lakers have LeBron, which makes them a tough team to bet against.
The Pelicans played star player F Zion Williamson 34 minutes Sunday, and still lost by 16. While they have been good as underdogs, they may struggle against the Lakers’ experience and size.
Considering how the last 2 season series played out and the experience of Los Angeles, BACK LAKERS (-112).
Against the spread
PASS.
The spread and moneyline are so close that there is little reason to take one over the other. Considering this game should be close, taking the moneyline is preferred, zeroing out any chance of a push.
Over/Under
BET OVER 223.5 (-110).
If there’s one thing both teams have done consistently the last few weeks, it is cashing Over tickets.
The Lakers are the league’s best Over team at 47-34-1 O/U. They hit the Over in their last 4 games, scoring at least 117 in all 4 and allowing 120 or more in 3 of the 4.
The Pelicans have gone Over in 5 of their last 8 and are 5-2-1 O/U in that span. New Orleans has tallied at least 110 points in 4 of its last 5 games.
The Lakers-Pelicans season series was also 3-1 O/U.
Both teams have the firepower to score with ease.
BACK OVER 223.5 (-110).
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