The NBA's in-season tournament continues on Thursday night. In the second game of the evening, the New Orleans Pelicans and the Los Angeles Lakers will meet (6 PM PT). The Lakers, who beat the Phoenix Suns in the previous round, are favored in the game at -2.0 (bet365). My Pelicans vs Lakers prediction focuses on a player prop involving CJ McCollum, the starting point guard for New Orleans.
New Orleans vs Los Angeles Prediction: Latest NBA News
New Orleans is coming off of a win over the Sacramento Kings. The final score was 127-117, a game where Jonas Valanciunas had a double-double for points and rebounds at 18 and 11 respectively. Brandon Ingram had the game-high for scoring with 30 points, a total that he tied with Sacramento's De'Aaron Fox. Ingram also played 40 minutes in the game, which is a very high total for a single game in the NBA. We'll have to see if he's strong against the Lakers after just one full day of rest.
The Pelicans do not have any injuries noted in their depth chart with ESPN as of early Thursday afternoon, at least not with their front-end players. Matt Ryan will be out for the game but he has not played since November 18th, so this isn't new for the team. New Orleans will be dangerous in this upcoming game.
The franchise has been desperate for success in recent seasons. Since drafting Zion Williamson with the No. 1 pick at the 2019 NBA Draft, the franchise has flopped. If they can win the NBA Cup, it would be a little bit of the success that they have been craving.
The team has been sharp lately. Including the win over Sacramento, they have gone 8-4 in their last 12 games. Wins during this time include a trio over the Kings and single victories over Dallas, Denver, and Philadelphia.
New Orleans Pelicans: Recent Form Alert
Formerly: 4 - 6 heading into Nov 14th, 2023
Currently: 12 - 10 (overall)
Recent form: 8 - 4 since Nov 14th, 2023
Recent winning rate: .667
Double-check for playing status updates with New Orleans (13:54 ET time of writing):: Team's Depth Chart
The LA Lakers have their normal set of injury notations in their depth chart. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are both game-day decisions. For his part, Davis is probable but James is questionable. Davis played 39 minutes in the previous game while James had 40. Those are high totals for these players at this point in their careers. With New Orleans in great shape for this game, you would think that LA would need to have their top players to be considered favorites for the game.
Double-check for playing status updates with Los Angeles (13:54 ET time of writing):: Team's Depth Chart
Pelicans vs Lakers Prediction: Betting Tips
CJ McCollum is an important player in this game for the Pelicans. I don't think either Austin Reaves or D'Angelo Russell are great defensively. Bettors should be looking for McCollum to have an above-average game on Thursday night at 17.5 and odds of -110 (bet365).
Also, I think bettors should oppose Anthony Davis for points, assists, and rebounds. It has been set at 42.5 with the UNDER at -115. There's a chance that Davis is used cautiously due to his workload from earlier this week, even though this is an elimination game. If he is used without limits, then there's a chance that he picks up an injury that takes him out or does not play his best. Take the UNDER for his points, rebounds, and assists combined total.
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