New Orleans Pelicans at Los Angeles Lakers Betting Preview
It’s been a weird start to the year for the Pelicans, who have gone 4-6 in their first ten games. They hope to pick up a win in a tough matchup against the Lakers on the road. The good news is that Zion Williamson has cleared health protocol and will be back with the team.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker came out of nowhere to score 37 against the Clippers on Wednesday and will likely have a big role once again. When the game hit the fourth quarter, he decided it was his time to shine, scoring almost every time down the floor. He and Brandon Ingram were the team’s only options, so they continued to tear it up.
The Lakers have started just as many expected them to, with a lot of dominance. At 10-3, they have the best record in the league to date.
The pressure is still pretty high for them to repeat. Should they make it through the regular season and into the Finals, they may have a super team in Brooklyn waiting for them.
ODDS:
The spread for this contest is set at Lakers -8.5. The over/under is 220 points.
Pels Seeking Big Win
The good news for New Orleans is that they have an excellent starting center to bang down low with these Lakers. Steven Adams never got that opportunity in the bubble when his final game in OKC was the team’s shocking Game 7 loss to the Rockets. Most players from that game are now playing for different teams.
New Orleans has a fantastic duo in Williamson and Ingram, who they will be leaning heavily on here. The injuries to Eric Bledsoe and Lonzo Ball have forced the team to dig a little deeper into the depth chart. Sindarious Thornwell, who many folks have likely forgotten about, was a starter and playing big minutes against the Clippers.
Short-handed or not, Stan Van Gundy’s team will fight to the bitter end of every game.
Lakers Seek Eleventh Win
So far, so good for the defending champs this year. Teams have again struggled to take them down, the team going 10-3 thus far. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis both healthy and leading the way, defeats are hard to come by. It’s also good to see that their key free-agent signings have been playing good ball here.
From Montrezl Harrell to Dennis Schroder, guys are stepping up. Second-year wing Talen Horton-Tucker has played incredible and could be a viable free agent option for several teams willing to pay big bucks. They haven’t shown any signs of missing the impact of Rajon Rondo just yet.
To win in this contest, playing tight defense on Williamson inside can go a long way. With his size, he can be a handful in the paint.
Pelicans Get Blown Out
The Lakers will cover the 8.5-point line, earning their eleventh win in 14 games.
Free Play: Lakers -8.5
