Dec 31, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) drives to the basket against Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
The New Orleans Pelicans (30-21) take on the Los Angeles Lakers(27-26) Friday with tip-off from Crypto.com Arena set for 10:30 p.m. ET (NBA TV). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Pelicans vs. Lakers odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions.
Season series: Tied 1-1
The Pels have won 4 in a row after dismantling the LA Clippers 117-106 Wednesday. They’ll try for the LA sweep as they tend to the Lakers Friday night. F Zion Williamson showed up with 21 points and 10 dimes Wednesday. He only had 3 boards, though, for the 2nd straight game. That’s going to put pressure on C Jonas Valanciunas to clear the glass opposite of F Anthony Davis, and the 31-year-old Lithuanian is questionable with a calf ailment.
Speaking of AD, he came to play Thursday night and cashed an Over 1.5 blocks for us in the 1st quarter. The Lakers couldn’t handle the Denver Nuggets, though, as they fell 114-106. The Under prevailed, and we cashed 2 of the 3 bets in the matchup. Davis had 32 points, 9 boards and 4 blocks. That loss snapped a 3-game winning streak for the Lake Show.
Pelicans at Lakers odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 1:09 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Pelicans -145 (bet $145 to win $100) | Lakers +120 (bet $100 to win $120)
- Against the spread (ATS): Pelicans -2.5 (-110) | Lakers +2.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 233.5 (O: -105 | U: -115)
Pelicans at Lakers key injuries
Pelicans
- F Naji Marshall (back) questionable
- C Jonas Valanciunas (calf) questionable
- F Zion Williamson (foot) questionable
Lakers
- Not yet submitted
For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.
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Pelicans at Lakers and predictions
Prediction
Pelicans 109, Lakers 100
Moneyline
So I took the Lakers Thursday for the +140 value, and they didn’t deliver. AD had 32, and F LeBron James had 25, but they just don’t have enough after that.
The Lakers have won 3 of 4 meetings, and Davis loves to torture his former team. However, the Pels won the last matchup and are a more formidable, deeper squad.
That said, I’m laying the points and not paying -145 for NOLA on the road. At press time, there were no props available for Lakers players, which means AD and LBJ could be questionable on the back end of the back-to-back.
PASS.
Against the spread
As mentioned, we’re taking the Pels -2.5 here. They won 129-109 as 5.5-point favorites with AD and LBJ in the lineup in December. They’ve covered in 4 of 5.
Take the PELICANS -2.5 (-110).
Over/Under
I’m feeling the Under here. An Under 229.5 cashed in this building in December, and with D-Lo sitting out Thursday and question marks for the Lakers playing on the back-to-back, UNDER 233.5 (-115) is the way to go.
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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This article originally appeared on USA Today Sportsbookwire: New Orleans Pelicans at Los Angeles Lakers odds, picks and predictions
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