Lakers vs. Pelicans Prediction: NBA Odds, Point Spread
With LeBron James and Anthony Davis both out of action for the foreseeable future, the defending champion Lakers have never been more vulnerable and they proved it in a 111-94 loss to Phoenix on Sunday. The Pelicans are missing a key piece of their own in Lonzo Ball, but they’re coming off a 113-108 win in Denver on Sunday that saw Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson combine for 60 points.
Up against L.A.’s battered lineup, it’s actually New Orleans that comes into this game as a 6.5-point favourite on the NBA odds with a total of 222.5.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
The Lakers won the only other meeting between these teams this season, 112-95 in L.A. on Jan. 15. L.A.’s two leading scorers from that game, LeBron (21 points) and AD (17 points) will both be out of action for this one. Williamson led the Pelicans with 21 points, while Ingram chipped in 20 points.
L.A. has been just as consistent outside of the Staples Center as inside the Staples Center this season, with 14 wins on the road and 14 wins at home. The Lakers have hit under the total in 10 of their last 15 games and with LeBron likely out for weeks, there’s no reason to expect that to change. L.A. is 21-22 against the spread this year and have covered in five of their last seven games.
The Pelicans seem much more comfortable at home. New Orleans has 12 home wins, compared to just six on the road. They’ve also gone over the total in nine of their last 11 home games and 15 of their last 20 games overall. The Pelicans are 19-23 ATS this season, but they’ve managed to cover in four of their last five games.
Los Angeles Lakers
Life without LeBron didn’t get off to the best start for the Lakers. After already suffering from the loss of AD’s two-way skillset, L.A. is going to need the rest of the lineup to seriously step up without LeBron. Dennis Schroder will likely be one of the players the Lakers rely on until King James is back on his throne. Only LeBron and AD average more points per game than Schroder (who averages 15) and the former OKC player is coming off a 22-point performance on Sunday.
Perhaps even more important to the Lakers right now, is Montrezl Harrell. Over the last couple of weeks he’s been L.A.’s best scorer after LeBron, putting up at least 20 points in five of his last seven games, including a team-high 23 points and 10 rebounds on Sunday. Even more impressive is the fact Harrell is putting up those numbers off the bench.
New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans will look to open their three-game homestand on a high note by taking advantage of a banged up Lakers squad. With Lonzo Ball listed as questionable for this game, it will be up to Williamson and Ingram to carry the offensive load. They were able to do just that in Sunday’s win, each finishing with 30 points and six rebounds, while Ingram also added eight assists.
Williamson has the potential to make a big impact on this game. He’s been an offensive powerhouse this season, averaging 25.7 points, seven rebounds and just under a steal per game. Williamson has been an incredibly accurate shooter and is now just the second player in the shot clock era to score at least 20 points on better than 50 per cent shooting in 20 straight games in a single season (the first was Shaquille O’Neal in 2000-01).
LAL
NO