The New Orleans Pelicans travel to the Paycom Center to do battle with the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 on Sunday night. Here’s a Pelicans vs Thunder prediction.
New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans are a little battered and bruised, but they will be full of confidence after taking down the Kings in a 105-98 win on Friday to earn their ticket to the NBA Playoffs. Brandon Ingram led the team with 24 points and six assists, Jonas Valanciunas added 19 points with 12 rebounds and two blocks while Trey Murphy chipped in with 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists. As a team, the Pelicans shot 51 percent from the field and seven of 19 from the 3-point line as they took control of the contest early, dominating the second quarter by 32-21 in the second quarter to open up a 20-point lead which proved to be more than enough to hold off a late charge from the Kings.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder are coming into this series with plenty of momentum as they capped off their regular season with five straight wins to earn the top seed in the Western Conference. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the team with averages of 30.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game, Jalen Williams averaged 19.1 points and 4.5 assists per game, Chet Holmgren averaged 16.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game while Josh Giddey finished with averages of 12.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. As a team, the Thunder scored 120.1 points per game while shooting 49.9 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from the 3-point line.
Oklahoma City Thunder Team Facts
- The Thunder have won each of their last 13 home games when playing with a rest advantage.
- The home team has covered the spread in each of the Thunder’s last 10 games.
- Six of the Thunder’s last seven playoff games as favorites against Southwest Division opponents have gone OVER the total points line.
New Orleans Pelicans Team Facts
- The Pelicans have won each of their last six games as road underdogs against Western Conference opponents.
- The Pelicans have covered the spread in each of their last six games as road underdogs against Western Conference opponents.
- Seven of the Pelicans’ last eight games as road underdogs have gone UNDER the total points line.
Pelicans vs Thunder prediction
The Pelicans are still missing key players with Zion Williamson still out with a left hamstring strain, while the Thunder have a full squad except for Olivier Sarr who is out. The Pelicans showed plenty of grit to take down the Kings despite missing their best player. However, the Pelicans are going to have to be at their best in this one as the Thunder have been in great form, and they should be well-rested as they haven’t played since last Sunday. The line is a bit hefty for this one, but with Williamson still out, I am comfortable backing the Thunder to draw first blood at home in this series.