Pelicans vs. Lakers Prediction & Odds
The seventh-seeded New Orleans Pelicans travel to Los Angeles to take on the #13-seed Lakers on ESPN Wednesday night at 10:00 PM ET. Can the Lakers cover the 3-point spread as home favorites?
The New Orleans Pelicans are 30-28 on the season. They are 4-6 in their last 10 games. The Pelicans are 28-29-1 ATS on the year.
The Los Angeles Lakers are 26-32 on the season. They’re 4-6 in their last 10 games. The Lakers are 26-30-1 ATS on the year.
Game Matchup & Betting Odds
573 New Orleans Pelicans (+3) at 574 Los Angeles Lakers (-3); O/U 233.5
10:00 PM ET, Wednesday, February 15, 2023
Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Pelicans vs. Lakers Public Betting Information
Our NBA Public Betting Information page indicates that 50% of public bettors are currently backing the Lakers -3 in this contest. Note that these numbers are subject to change, so be sure to check the link to receive the most up-to-date public betting data.
New Orleans Pelicans DFS Spin
Pelicans leading scorer Zion Williamson hasn’t played since January 2nd, and he recently suffered a setback that will likely sideline him for several more weeks. Williamson is dealing with a hamstring ailment and has been averaging 26 points per game on 60.8% shooting from the field for New Orleans this season.
The Pelicans’ third-leading scorer, CJ McCollum, is listed as questionable for Wednesday night’s game. He’s dealing with an ankle injury. If McCollum is able to play he should be in consideration for your DFS lineup as the ninth-year man out of Lehigh is posting 21.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 2.8 made three-pointers per game this season.
Los Angeles Lakers DFS Spin
Lakers superstar LeBron James has missed the past three games with an ankle injury and he’s officially listed as questionable for Wednesday’s tilt with the Pelicans. Wednesday is L.A.’s last game before the All-Star break so there’s a decent chance that LeBron will sit it out.
If James does sit this game out, that could mean more shots for newly acquired point guard D’Angelo Russell. Russell is scoring 17.8 points per game, dishing out 6.1 assists per game, and sinking 1.5 threes per game for both the Timberwolves and Lakers this season. The price might be right for D’Angelo Russell in DFS on Wednesday, so he might be worth a flier.
Pelicans vs. Lakers NBA Betting Trends
New Orleans is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
New Orleans is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
Los Angeles is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
Los Angeles is 9-19-1 ATS in their last 29 games against a team with a winning straight-up record.
Pelicans vs. Lakers NBA Prediction
The Lakers made a flurry of trades before the deadline last week, but that was akin to re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Los Angeles is one of the worst teams in the league against the spread at 26-31-1 and their raw numbers aren’t great either. The Lakers rank in the bottom eleven in the league in offensive efficiency, defensive efficiency, and average scoring margin. If the Pelicans’ CJ McCollum plays and the Lakers’ LeBron James doesn’t, this could be a long night for the Lakers in Los Angeles. The Pelicans have more to play for as they could stay out of the play-in tournament if they improve their current seed, and I think that’s the difference in this game. I’ll take the Pelicans and the points on the road.
NBA BETTING PREDICTION: NEW ORLEANS PELICANS +3
