LA Lakers (47-35) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (49-32)
April 14, 2024 3:30 pm EDT
The Line: New Orleans Pelicans -3.5; Over/Under: +229.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The LA Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans meet Sunday in NBA action at the Smoothie King Center. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Lakers vs Pelicans prediction.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers have been in pretty good shape as they’ve won five of their last seven games overall and they will be eager to stay hot after sneaking past the Grizzlies in a 123-120 road win on Friday. LeBron James led the team with 37 points, nine rebounds and five assists, Anthony Davis added 36 points with 14 rebounds and five assists while Rui Hachimura chipped in with 14 points on five of six shooting. As a team, the Lakers shot 51 percent from the field and 13 of 37 from the 3-point line as they set the tone with 68 points in the first half to take an early 13-point lead, but they never put the Grizzlies away and really had to scrap to the end to escape with the narrow win thanks to some late heroics from James in the final two possessions.
New Orleans Pelicans
Meanwhile, the New Orleans Pelicans have been in fine form as they are now aiming for a fifth straight victory after outlasting the Warriors in a 114-109 road win on Friday. CJ McCollum led the team with 28 points and five assists, Zion Williamson added 26 points with six steals while Trey Murphy drained six 3-pointers to finish with 24 points. As a team, the Pelicans shot 46 percent from the field and an efficient 20 of 38 from the 3-point line as they looked in trouble when they scored just 17 points in the first quarter to trail right away, before they reclaimed the lead for good with a dominant 45-22 second quarter effort to come away with the impressive win.
New Orleans Pelicans Team Facts
- The road team has won each of the Pelicans’ last eight games.
- The underdogs have covered the spread in each of the Pelicans’ last seven games.
- Eleven of the Pelicans’ last 12 games as favorites against the Lakers have gone OVER the total points line.
Los Angeles Lakers Team Facts
- The favorites have won each of the Lakers’ last nine games.
- The Lakers have failed to cover the spread in 14 of their last 15 games as underdogs following a road win.
- Each of the Lakers’ last seven road games against Southwest Division opponents have gone OVER the total points line.
Lakers vs Pelicans prediction
The Lakers are still shorthanded with Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood both out, while the Pelicans are keeping eyes on Brandon Ingram and Naji Marshall, who are both listed as questionable for this one. Both teams are coming into this meeting with plenty of momentum, but even though the Pelicans are deserved favorites at home, I prefer a play on the Lakers, who could easily pull off the minor upset as the underdogs here. You can make an argument for either side, but I think the Lakers cap off their regular season with a narrow win here.
