Pelicans vs. Thunder Spread Prediction
Without Anthony Davis in the lineup, the Pelicans fell to the struggling Pistons on Wednesday night despite being a 5-point home favorite. Now a double-digit underdog on the road in Oklahoma City tonight, will New Orleans at least put up a competitive fight versus the Thunder at 8:00 p.m. ET?
Game Snapshot
559 New Orleans Pelicans at 560 Oklahoma City Thunder
8:00 p.m. ET, Thursday, January 24, 2019
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Our NBA Live Odds page pulls spreads and totals from multiple different online sportsbooks so you can compare betting odds to ensure you’re getting the best line.
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers from online sportsbook BetNow.eu, the Thunder are 11.5-point favorites to beat the Pelicans. The total, meanwhile, sits at 237.5 points and as of this writing, 54% of the public betting tickets wagered at online sportsbooks are on the Pelicans to cover the point spread.
New Orleans Pelicans Fantasy Spin
In his second straight start, Jahlil Okafor set a career high with six blocked shots, adding 17 points and 10 rebounds in 31 minutes vs. Detroit. Okafor tied his career-high with four blocks in the first quarter alone tonight, giving New Orleans some much-needed rim protection in Anthony Davis’ (finger) absence. AD will be re-evaluated on Friday and could return as soon as next week. He needs the swelling to go down, which will increase his range of motion, and he’ll be re-evaluated “every 48 to 72 hours.” Anyone relying on Okafor will therefore need to continually check on Davis’ status. Once he’s healthy, there’s no reason to think Okafor will maintain value in standard leagues.
Oklahoma City Thunder Fantasy Spin
Russell Westbrook hit 9-of-20 shots, a 3-pointer and 10-of-12 free throws for 29 points, 10 rebounds, 14 assists, a steal and five turnovers in 37 minutes of Tuesday’s win over the Blazers. Westbrook came into this game averaging 21.6 points, 10.6 rebounds and 10.5 assists, so he is easily on pace to average another triple-double this season. He’s also been managing his turnovers nicely over the past couple weeks, averaging just 3.4 over his last five games, and tonight was his 14th triple-double of the season.
NBA Betting Trends
New Orleans
The Pelicans are 5-1-1 against the spread in their last seven games when facing an opponent with a winning percentage above .600.
Oklahoma City
The Thunder are just 2-5 against the number in their last seven games versus Southwest opponents.
Prediction
The Pelicans have failed to cover the spread in four of their last five road games versus the Thunder. They’re also winless at the betting window in their last four games when playing the second game of a back-to-bac k and are 1-4-1 against the number in their last six road games versus a team with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. New Orleans has failed to cover the spread in eight of its last 12 games when its opponent scores 100 points or more in its previous game as well.
Thursday NBA Prediction: Oklahoma City Thunder -11.5