Pelicans vs. Lakers Point Spread: NBA Odds, Prediction
-
Jeremy Perry
The New Orleans Pelicans are hovering right around the .500 mark, not gaining traction in the Western Conference playoff race but not falling out of contention, either. On Friday, they’ll visit the Los Angeles Lakers but the Pelicans could be in tough to pull out a win. Three of their top four leading scorers are either doubtful or questionable for the contest.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
The Pelicans are 6-0 against the spread in their last six games following a straight-up loss. They are also 4-1 against the spread in their last five road games against a team with a home winning percentage over .600. The Lakers, at 11-4, fit that description.
The Lakers are 1-4 against the spread and 2-3 overall in their last five games. Los Angeles is 7-3 against the spread in the last 10 games following an ATS loss, which the Lakers suffered against the Nets earlier this week. While the Lakers play much better at home in terms of the straight up numbers, a note of concern is that the Lakers are 2-7-1 against the spread in their last 10 home games versus a team with a losing road record, which matches New Orleans’ identity.
New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans had a very promising start to the season but it’s since gone by the waste side. The team that was once 4-0 and 10-7 has dropped 10 of their last 15 games.
Playing on the road has been a big problem for this team. They are built around offence, as evidenced by the fact that they are fourth in the league in scoring efficiency. They are actually tied for the league lead in that stat at home. However, the road is a different story. They are averaging 110.4 points per game in their last nine road games, which isn’t bad, but it’s a seven-point dip from what they averaged in their first seven road games.
The bigger issue for this team right now is injuries. Nikola Mirotic is doubtful for Friday while Anthony Davis and Julius Randle are questionable to play. That’s three of the team’s top four scorers, who combine to average 64.7 points per game. The Pelicans aren’t winning on Friday if all three are out.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers had a little mojo going to start December as they had won six of seven. However, a rough four-game road trip netted just one victory with disappointing losses at Washington and Brooklyn.
The good news is the Lakers are back at home where they’ve played well this season. While the Pelicans could be a bit shorthanded, the Lakers are looking to get some reinforcements. It’s still undetermined but it looks like Brandon Ingram could return to the lineup. The latest we’ve heard is that he’s hopeful to play. Also, Rajon Rondo has been out for a few weeks but he went through a full practice on Thursday and could be back.
What’s held the Lakers back this season has been their defence but it’s been crisp at home. They’ve allowed just 100.7 points per game at home over their last seven. That should be the key to their win on Friday.
