The New Orleans Pelicans play host to the Los Angeles Lakers at the T-Mobile Arena at Las Vegas on Thursday night. Here’s a Pelicans vs Lakers prediction.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers have been in great shape as they’ve won seven of their last 10 games overall and they will be aiming for a third straight win after outlasting the Suns in a 106-103 win on Tuesday. LeBron James led the team with 31 points, 11 assists and five steals, Anthony Davis added 27 points with 15 rebounds and two blocks while Austin Reaves chipped in with 20 points off the bench. As a team, the Lakers shot just 37 percent from the field and nine of 30 from the 3-point line as they jumped all over the Suns in the first half to build a 15-point lead, but they didn’t put the Suns away until they went on a crucial 8-2 run late in the fourth quarter to escape with the narrow win.
Los Angeles Lakers Team Facts
- The Lakers have won seven of their last eight games against the Pelicans following a win.
- The favorites have covered the spread in seven of the Lakers’ last eight games.
- Each of the Lakers’ last six games as favorites against the Pelicans have gone UNDER the total points line.
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New Orleans Pelicans
Meanwhile, the New Orleans Pelicans are starting to heat up also as they’ve won three of their last four games and they will be eager to keep it going after taking down the Kings in a 127-117 road win on Monday. Brandon Ingram led the team with 30 points, eight rebounds and six assists, Herbert Jones added 23 points with five assists, Jonas Valanciunas tallied 18 points with 11 rebounds while CJ McCollum chipped in with 17 points and seven assists. As a team, the Pelicans shot 54 percent from the field and 14 of 31 from the 3-point line as they clawed their way back from an early 15-point deficit to lead by 15 points, before they made another run in the fourth quarter to earn the impressive comeback victory.
New Orleans Pelicans Team Facts
- The Pelicans have won each of their last four games as underdogs.
- The Pelicans have covered the spread in each of their last seven games as underdogs.
- Six of the Pelicans’ last seven games against Western Conference opponents have gone UNDER the total points line.
Pelicans vs Lakers prediction
The Lakers could be shorthanded here with LeBron James listed as questionable, while the Pelicans are still missing Larry Nance Jr and Matt Ryan. The Lakers are playing great basketball at the moment and they would’ve taken plenty of confidence from their gritty win over the Suns on Tuesday, while the Pelicans are a team on the rise now that they have all their key players back on the court. These two squads have yet to meet this season, but the Lakers are in a groove at the moment and I think they get the narrow win win and cover at the short line behind another big game from James.
