NEW ORLEANS PELICANS VS. LOS ANGELES LAKERS ODDS & PREDICTIONS

Greetings, basketball fans. Welcome back to our NBA coverage here at Latest Basketball News.

One of the games on Thursday night’s slate features the New Orleans Pelicans (12-10) taking on the Los Angeles Lakers (13-9)

Here is a look at which team has the edge going into this Western Conference showdown and why.

Tipoff

When: Thursday, December 7, 2023 at 9:00 PM ET
Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV
TV: TNT and Tru TV

New Orleans Pelicans vs. Los Angeles Lakers Odds (via DraftKings)

New Orleans Pelicans vs. Los Angeles Lakers – Regular Season Stats & Betting Trends

New Orleans Pelicans Season Stats:

Offense: 114.6 PPG – 12th
Offense Efficiency: 115.0 points per 100 possessions – 14th
Defense: 113.4 PPG – 17th
Defense Efficiency: 113.7 points per 100 possessions – 14th

Following a 9-9 start, the New Orleans Pelicans have produced three wins in their last four contests. This includes an impressive 127-117 win over the Sacramento Kings in the quarter-final round of the NBA’s In-Season Tournament. The significance of the team’s accomplishment was not lost on head coach Willie Green.

“It’s a growth moment for us to have an opportunity to be one of the first,” New Orleans coach Willie Green said, via ESPN. “This is the first time we’ve had the In-Season Tournament. You put a game in front of us that’s meaningful, I don’t care who it is, or where it is, we want to win. That’s the type of heart that we have in that locker room.”

Brandon Ingram paced New Orleans with 30 points, six rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Herbert Jones added 23 points, five boards, and five assists. New Orleans shot 54 percent from the field and 45.2 percent from 3-point range.

Los Angeles Lakers Season Stats:

Offense: 112.2 PPG – 20th
Offense Efficiency: 111.0 points per 100 possessions – 25th
Defense: 113.0 PPG – 16th
Defense Efficiency: 111.7 points per 100 possessions – 8th

Like the Pelicans, the Los Angeles Lakers have also won three of their last four games following a 10-8 start. This includes a 106-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns in their quarter-final round matchup on Tuesday night. Even though this is his 21st year in the league, LeBron James offered this assessment of the league’s inaugural In-Season Tournament.

“You’ve got some of the most alpha male competitors in the world, and if you give us an opportunity to play for something meaningful or an incentive, then you get what you’re getting,” said James, via ESPN. “The In-Season Tournament is what it is, and we have an opportunity to play on a big stage, be on national television, represent our families, our communities, where we come from.”

James was a force at both ends of the floor. He scored a team-high 31 points (including 15 in the fourth quarter) to go along with 11 assists, eight rebounds, and five steals. Anthony Davis chimed in with 27 points, 15 rebounds, and two blocks. Austin Reaves contributed 20 points and six rebounds off the bench.

Next up, here is a quick look at some noteworthy betting trends for both ball clubs.

The Picks

The Spread

The Los Angeles Lakers opened as a one-point favorite. At the time of this writing, the line has moved to two points. Here are a few trends that suggest why going with New Orleans to cover is a smart move.

The Pelicans are 13-8-1 ATS overall, while the Lakers are 10-12.
New Orleans is 8-5 ATS when it is the underdog.
The Pelicans are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games.
New Orleans is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 matchups against Western Conference opponents.
In their last five games against Pacific Division teams, the Pelicans are 4-1 against the spread.
The Lakers are just 2-8 ATS in their last 10 Thursday night games.

Prediction: New Orleans (+2)

Over/Under

The projected over/under total opened at 230 points. That line has moved to 229.5 points, with the OVER garnering 71 percent of the cash and 55 percent of the tickets (via pregame.com). Here are a few trends that suggest why going with the “under” is the best option.

The UNDER total has hit six times in New Orleans’s last nine outings.
In the Pelicans’ last 20 road games, the total has gone UNDER 15 times.
The UNDER total has prevailed five times in New Orleans’s last six road games against Los Angeles.
In the Lakers’ last six home games, the UNDER total is 6-0.

Prediction: UNDER 229.5 points

Player Prop Bets

Fresh off one of his best performances of the season, my key player to watch for the Lakers is LeBron James. He currently has -125 odds of scoring more than 27.5 points and -105 odds of scoring less than 27.5 points.

In 46 career games against New Orleans, James is averaging 26.9 points per contest (per StatMuse.com). And this season he is averaging 24.7 points per game. Both trends are below his projected points total for this matchup.

Over his last 10 games, James is averaging 24.8 per outing and he has exceeded the 27.5 points total just three times during that stretch. Taking these metrics into consideration, going with the “under” for James is the best option.

Prediction: UNDER 27.5 points

My key player to watch for the Pelicans is Brandon Ingram. He currently has -105 odds of scoring more than 23.5 points and -125 odds of scoring less than 23.5 points.

Ingram has played against the Lakers 12 times, and he is averaging 25.5 points per contest. On the season, Ingram is averaging 23.7 points per outing. Both trends favorably compare to his projected scoring total for this matchup.

Over his last 10 games, Ingram is averaging 24.7 points per game, and he has eclipsed the 23.5 points total five times during that stretch. Based on the evidence provided, I’d lean towards going with the “over” for Ingram.

Prediction: Brandon Ingram OVER 23.5 points

James’s New Orleans Pelicans vs. Los Angeles Lakers Picks

The Spread: New Orleans Pelicans (+2)
Over/Under: UNDER 229.5 points
Player Prop Bet #1: LeBron James UNDER 27.5 points
Player Prop Bet #2: Brandon Ingram OVER 23.5 points