Los Angeles Lakers vs New Orleans Pelicans 11/2/22 NBA Picks, Predictions, Odds

The New Orleans Pelicans invade the crypto.com Arena to do battle with the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night.

The New Orleans Pelicans have been in great shape as they’ve won four of their first six games and they will be feeling pretty good about themselves after dismantling the Clippers in a 112-91 road win on Sunday. CJ McCollum led the way with 22 points, five rebounds and three assists, Zion Williamson tallied 21 points with 12 rebounds and seven assists while Naji Marshall chipped in with 17 points, six rebounds and four assists. As a team, the Pelicans shot 49 percent from the field and 15 of 36 from the 3-point line as they got off to a slow start and scored just 18 points in the first quarter to trail by as many as 11 points. However, they bounced back with 34 points in the second quarter and dominated from that point onwards to finish with their best win of the season so far.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers have been in terrible shape but they will be breathing a major sigh of relief after snapping a five-game losing streak with a 121-110 win over the Nuggets on Sunday. LeBron James led the team with 26 points, six rebounds and eight assists, Anthony Davis added 23 points and 15 rebounds while Lonnie Walker and Russell Westbrook scored 18 points apiece. As a team, the Lakers shot 47 percent from the field and 13 of 30 from the 3-point line as they held the Nuggets to just 20 points in the second quarter to take the narrow lead into halftime, before exploding for 38 points in the third quarter to pull away and earn the elusive first win of the season.

Looking at the betting trends, the Pelicans are 4-0 ATS in their last four games against a team with a losing record, 17-8 ATS in their last 25 road games and 4-0 ATS in their last four games against a team with a losing record. The Lakers are 6-20 ATS in their last 26 games following a win of more than 10 points and 1-5 ATS in their last six games overall.

Head to head, the under is 4-0 in the last four meetings overall and the Pelicans are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings overall.

The Pelicans will again be missing Brandon Ingram and Herbert Jones, while the Lakers have listed Juan Toscano-Anderson and Anthony Davis as questionable for this one. The Lakers will be feeling so much better after finally getting that first win of the season, but one game doesn’t change your season and it’s been a real struggle for the Lakers so far. The Pelicans have been one of the form teams of the league and I think they can stay hot with another win in this spot, especially if the Lakers are shorthanded.