The Oklahoma City Thunder (57-25) travel to face off against the New Orleans Pelicans (49-33) on Saturday, April 27th. This game will be played at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans and televised on TNT. The Thunder are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Pelicans are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Pelicans. Tip-off is set for 3:30 ET.

Thunder vs Pelicans

The Thunder picked up a big win in the most recent game of this series, as they defeated the Pelicans by a score of 124-92. The Thunder were favored by 7.5 points and easily covered the spread. The Thunder also easily surpassed the over/under line of 210.5 points, as the teams combined for 216 points.

Oklahoma City got off to a fast start, outscoring the Pelicans 35-22 in the first quarter. The Thunder’s defense was on point, as they held the Pelicans to just 26.9% shooting from three-point range. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the game’s leading scorer with 33 points, and Chet Holmgren added 26 points for the Thunder. Jonas Valanciunas led the Pelicans with 19 points.

Thunder Offense Breakdown

Offensively, the Thunder are averaging 120.1 points per game this season, which is the 3rd best mark in the league. At home, they have been even better, averaging 122.5 points per contest. The team’s field goal percentage of 49% is the 2nd best mark in the NBA.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 25 points per game over his last five games on a field goal percentage of 49.5%. In these games, he also averaged 4.6 assists and 4.6 rebounds. For the season, he is averaging 30.1 points, 6.2 assists, and 5.5 rebounds. Chet Holmgren is averaging 16.5 points and 7.9 rebounds for the season.

Pelicans Offense Breakdown

Brandon Ingram is averaging 20.8 points per game for the season to go along with 5.7 assists and 5.1 rebounds. Over his last five games, he has hit 44.1% of his shots from the field and 15.6 points. Trey Murphy III is averaging 13.6 points per game in his last five games and 4.8 rebounds. For the season, CJ McCollum is averaging 3.6 made threes per game but has hit just 26.5% of his threes in his last five games.

New Orleans is the 16th-ranked scoring team this season, at 115.1 points per game. They are also 16th in scoring at home, putting up 114.4 points per contest. The Pelicans are 18th in pace, averaging 97.3 possessions per game. One of their strengths on offense is their three-point shooting, as they are 7th in the league in three-point shooting percentage, at 38%.

Thunder Team Defense

When it comes to defense, the Thunder have been one of the best units in the league this season. They are 11th in the NBA in points allowed per game at 112.2. In their last five games, they have been even better, giving up only 93.2 points per contest.

One area where Oklahoma City has excelled this season is in steals. They are tops in the league in that category, averaging 8.5 steals per game. They are also 2nd in blocked shots at 6.6 per contest.

So far this season, opponents have scored less than their season average in 59.8% of games vs. the Thunder.

Pelicans Team Defense

When it comes to defense, the Pelicans have been solid all season long, allowing just 110.5 points per game, which is 8th in the NBA. They have been especially good at home, giving up just 111.1 points per game, which is 12th in the league.

One area where New Orleans has excelled is in steals, as they are 3rd in the NBA at 8.3 per game. However, they have struggled to block shots, ranking just 22nd in the league.

Opponents have been able to get off a lot of three-point attempts against the Pelicans, as they are 29th in the NBA in that category. Despite that, New Orleans has done a good job of limiting free throw attempts, ranking 8th in the league in made free throws allowed per game.

Key Players For The Thunder And Pelicans

Our game forecasts for today suggest that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is set to be the main scorer for the Thunder, recording 30 points and shooting 11/20 from the field. For the season, he has been averaging 30.1 points per game, in addition to 5.5 rebounds.

As for New Orleans, Brandon Ingram is projected to be the primary scorer for the Pelicans. Our forecast has him finishing the game with 20, and adding 5 rebounds. Throughout the season, he has maintained a 49.2% field goal shooting rate and is averaging 20.8 points per game.

Thunder vs Pelicans Trends

• In their last ten games away from home, the Thunder have a straight up record of 6-4 while going 2-8 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 113 points per game in these contests.
• Although New Orleans has a straight up record of 7-3 in their last ten home games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 6-4. The team averaged 109 points per game in these games.
• Through their last five games as the underdog, the Pelicans have an ATS record of 4-1 and a straight up mark of 3-2.
• As the betting favorite, the Thunder have an ATS record of 2-1 in their last three games. In these matchups, their straight up record was 3-0.

Thunder vs Pelicans Prediction

We’re calling a win for the Thunder, with a final score of 118-112, and we’re taking them to cover the spread. Our recommendation is to bet on the Thunder at -1.

As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 208 and our model has the Thunder and Pelicans finishing with a combined 230 points. Our pick is to take 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.