Lakers vs Pelicans NBA Play-In Tournament Predictions, Odds & Best Bets (4/16): Will LeBron’s Playmaking Be the Difference?

Lakers vs Pelicans NBA Betting Trends

• The Lakers are 11-3 straight up in their last 14 games.
• New Orleans is 6-1 straight up in its last seven games on Tuesday.
• The Lakers are 5-1 ATS in their last six games vs. New Orleans.
• New Orleans is 0-5 ATS in its last five home games.
• The total hit the Over in six of the Lakers’ last seven games.
• The total hit the Over in four of New Orleans’ last five home games vs. the Lakers.

Lakers vs Pelicans Predictions & NBA Picks Today (4/16): Who Advances?

The Lakers and Pelicans are far from strangers as they prepare for tonight’s Play-In Tournament contest. The teams collide four times throughout the regular season, resulting in three victories for the Lakers — including a 124-108 win at Smoothie King Center on Saturday.

One of the reasons why Darvin Ham’s team had that success was due to solid defensive play. The Lakers held the Pelicans to an average of 112.0 points while outscoring them by 14.3 PPG, even holding them to 89 points on one occasion. Meanwhile, Los Angeles averaged a whopping 126.3 PPG on .534/.409/.837 splits.

Another thing that the Lakers have going for them is experience. They’ve already fought for the No. 7 seed in two of the three previous NBA Play-In Tournaments, winning both times. Although the Pelicans won the No. 8 seed in 2022, it was eliminated by the Oklahoma City Thunder in last year’s No. 9 vs. 10 matchup.

Will the Lakers’ NBA Play-In Tournament experience help them defeat the Pelicans tonight? 

The Lakers have also been one of the NBA’s hottest teams over the last few weeks. Not only is their 78.6% winning percentage over the last 14 games tied for best in the league, but they also rank second in points, second in field-goal percentage, ninth in three-point percentage, fifth in rebounds, and seventh in assists during that stretch.

Meanwhile, the Pelicans are only 7-7 SU (50.0%) during that time highlighting how they’ve been fairly average outside of some solid three-point shooting. One thing that does stick out, though, is that they’re only averaging 40.9 RPG (25th), which could come back to bite them against the Lakers.

Another thing going against New Orleans is its inability to cover the spread. Not only are the Pelicans 4-8 ATS in their last 12 games, they’re 0-5 ATS in their five previous home contests.

While the Lakers have only covered two in their last six outings, they’re 5-1 ATS in their last six games against the Pelicans.

The one thing that could slow Los Angeles down is its injury situation. LeBron James (ankle) and Anthony Davis (back) are questionable while Christian Wood (knee) and Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) have been ruled out.

Meanwhile, the Pelicans are completely healthy on paper.

The Pelicans don’t have any injury designations ahead of this evening’s matchup with the Lakers. 

The Pelicans own the better record, but I’m taking the Lakers to win. Los Angeles is already 3-1 against New Orleans this season, winning the last two meetings by at least 16 points. The Lakers also have a ton of postseason experience on their side — especially in the Play-In Tournament — which I fully expect them to use to advance and face the Nuggets in Round 1.

With that being said, I’m taking the Lakers on the moneyline. With the spread only being at 1.5 points, it just makes more sense to back an outright Los Angeles win considering that its odds are almost even.

Lakers vs Pelicans NBA Prediction: LAL wins

Best Lakers vs Pelicans NBA Bet: LAL ML (-101)

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Best Lakers vs Pelicans NBA Prop Bet (4/16)

I’m feeling a bit risky for the NBA playoffs, so let’s take LeBron James to record 10+ assists (+106) for the best Lakers vs. Pelicans prop bet tonight.

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Racking up that many assists is tough for most players, but it’s just another day at the office for “The King.” After all, LeBron has racked up at least 10 assists 18 times this season, including in three of his last four games (averaging 11.3 APG during that stretch).

If that isn’t convincing enough, the four-time NBA MVP has made good on this prop in each of his last two meetings with the Pelicans, finishing with no fewer than 14 assists. Given that New Orleans allows the 13th-most assists at home, I have faith in LeBron pulling through again.

Best Lakers vs Pelicans Prop Bet: LeBron James to Record 10+ Assists (+106)

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