The Oklahoma City Thunder (17-5) travel to face off against the New Orleans Pelicans (5-18) on Saturday, December 7th. This game will be played at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans and televised on Gulf. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 7:00 ET.

Thunder vs Pelicans

The Thunder Are Coming Off A Win

The Thunder improved to 17-5 on the season with a dominant 129-92 win over the Raptors on Thursday. Oklahoma City, favored by 10 points, covered the spread with ease. The total points for the game came in at 221, just under the 227-point line.

A 13-0 run early in the game helped the Thunder take control, and they never looked back. They outscored the Raptors 34-17 in the 1st quarter and had a 99-65 lead going into the 4th.

The Pelicans Are Coming Off A Win

The Pelicans improved to 5-18 on the season with a 126-124 win over the Suns on Thursday. New Orleans, who entered the game as +1.5 point underdogs, not only won but also covered the spread. The total points for the game exceeded the O/U line of 223.5 by 26.5 points.

After a strong 11-0 run by the Suns, the Pelicans responded with a 45-28 third quarter. They entered the 4th quarter leading 99-93 and held on for the win, despite being outscored 31-27 in the final period.

Thunder Offense Breakdown

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder to a 129-point performance against the Raptors, scoring 30 points, with 13 in the 1st quarter and 15 in the 3rd. Jalen Williams added 20 points, while Isaiah Joe contributed 16, hitting 4 threes at 66.7% efficiency.

The Thunder made 17 threes, shooting 36.2% from deep, and finished with a 48% overall field goal percentage. Ajay Mitchell scored 11 of his 13 points in the 4th quarter, and Kenrich Williams also added 8 of his 13 points in the final period.

Pelicans Offense Breakdown

Brandon Ingram’s 29 points and 7 rebounds, along with 3 made threes, helped the Pelicans to a 126-124 win over the Suns on Thursday. Ingram shot 52.6% from the field and hit 50% from beyond the arc. CJ McCollum added 25 points, 6 assists, and 3 made threes, while Trey Murphy contributed 19 points, hitting 3 threes at a 50% rate.

The Pelicans connected on 14 threes, shooting 38.9% from deep and 49.5% overall. Ingram scored 21 points in the 3rd quarter, while McCollum added 13 in the 4th.

Thunder Team Defense

The Thunder put on a defensive clinic against the Raptors, holding them to just 92 points on Thursday. Oklahoma City set the tone early, giving up only 17 points in the 1st quarter and maintaining their strong defense throughout the game. The Thunder allowed 25 points in the 2nd quarter, 23 in the 3rd, and 27 in the 4th.

Oklahoma City limited Toronto to 35% shooting from the field, including just 11 made threes on 24% shooting. The Thunder sent the Raptors to the free-throw line 20 times, where they made 17. Defensively, the Thunder grabbed 42 rebounds, gave up 12 offensive boards, and added 15 steals and 11 blocks.

Pelicans Team Defense

The Thunder put on a defensive clinic against the Raptors, holding them to just 92 points on Thursday. Oklahoma City set the tone early, allowing only 17 points in the 1st quarter and continued their strong play throughout, giving up 25, 23, and 27 points in the remaining quarters.

Defensively, the Thunder limited the Raptors to 35% shooting from the field and just 24% from beyond the arc, with Toronto making only 11 threes. Oklahoma City also recorded 15 steals and 11 blocks in the game.

Thunder vs Pelicans Trends

• In their last three road games, Oklahoma City has averaged 115 points per game while allowing 101. The team’s record in this stretch was 2-1 while going 2-1 vs. the spread.
• Through their last ten home contests, the Pelicans offense has averaged 97 points per game while allowing an average of 118. New Orleans posted an overall record of 0-10 while going 2-8 ATS.
• Going back to their last three games as the underdog, the Pelicans have a straight up record of 1-2. But, their mark vs the spread was just 1-2.
• Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the favorite, the Thunder have a straight up record of 7-3. Their record vs the spread in these games was 5-5.

Thunder vs Pelicans Prediction

Entering the game as underdogs with a spread of +7.5, the Pelicans is our point spread pick. Our projections not only see them covering the spread but also indicate a solid chance of an outright victory. This is a good choice for those looking for a higher moneyline payout.

As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 225, and our model projects the Thunder and Pelicans to reach a combined total of 241 points. Our bet is on taking the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.