Los Angeles Lakers vs New Orleans Pelicans Live Betting Picks, Odds, Lines & Predictions
On Sunday night, the Lakers head out to New Orleans to take on the Pelicans in the last game of the regular season. The LA team needs to win to have any chance of a direct playoff spot. However, they do not have full control over their fate as they’ll also need Portland to lose. The Lakers and the Blazers are currently tied at 6th with one game remaining but Portland owns the tiebreaker. Coach Fogel’s team is in a good form right now, having won 4 straight games. Over the season, they are 41-30 SU and 31-39-1 ATS. The Pelicans, on the other hand, are definitely out of the playoffs and have nothing to play for but pride. Besides, they are without a few key players and have three consecutive losses. New Orleans is tied with Sacramento for 11th in the West with a 31-40 record. Against the spread, they are 34-37 this season. Tonight’s game is the third matchup between two teams this year. The teams split the series so far with each winning at home.
Los Angeles Lakers vs New Orleans Pelicans Live Betting Odds & Line Movement
The Lakers are heavily favored in this one and the oddsmakers have set the line at -10.5. The total saw some movement, rising from 221.5 to 223.5.
Notes On The Los Angeles Lakers
The main news for the Lakers is that LeBron James is back and Anthony Davis seems fully prepared and in prime form before the playoffs. LeBron missed 20 games before returning for a short 2-game stint and then missing 6 more. He finally returned last night in the win against Indiana. The Lakers beat the Pacers mainly thanks to the performances of their two stars. LeBron looked healthy and scored 24 points, adding 7 rebounds and 8 assists in 28 minutes on the floor. He also scored the crucial 4 points near the end of the game to stop Indiana’s late push. AD was the leading scorer with 28 points and also had 10 rebounds for another double-double. Four other players also scored in double-digits. The New Orleans game is a second night of the back-to-back, so it’s possible one or both stars will be rested. However, both LeBron and AD have stated that they’re ready to go.
The only two players on the injury report are Alex Caruso and Jared Dudley who are both game time decisions.
Notes On The New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans are finishing what has been a disappointing season for them. Although they are the team looking at the future, they still expected to be in the playoffs. However, after losing some of the key pieces near the end of the season, the Pelicans just couldn’t get to the much desired No. 10 spot. They have lost 4 times in the last 5 games, but still played decent basketball and were competitive against some quality opposition. They played close games against Philly, Memphis, and Golen State. Last time out, they lost to the Warriors 125-122. Nickeil Alexander-Walker had a breakout game with 30 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists. Rookie Naji Marshall added career-high 20 points and Jaxson Hayes had 19 from the bench.
For tonight, coach Van Gundy is without Williamson, Ingram, Ball, Adams, and Hart. Iwundu and Johnson are listed as questionable.
Los Angeles Lakers vs New Orleans Pelicans Live Betting Pick & Prediction: The Lakers -10.5
With the Lakers likely in full strength, there’s no need to overthink this. They’ll look to build a solid lead from the start, secure the victory, and hope for the Blazers to slip up.
