pelicans vs lakers nba prediction

NBA New Orleans Pelicans vs Los Angeles Prediction 12/7/2023

The New Orleans Pelicans (12-10) travel to face off against the Los Angeles Lakers (13-9) on Thursday, December 7th. This game will be played at T-Mobile Arena in T-Mobile Arena and televised on TNT. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 9:00 ET.

Pelicans vs Lakers

The Pelicans Are Coming Off A Win

In their latest game against the Kings, Brandon Ingram was the top scorer for the Pelicans’ offense, scoring 30 points and shooting 10/20 from the field. Herbert Jones also contributed 23 points as the Pelicans won by a score of 127-117 vs. the Kings.

At home, the Pelicans are 8-4 this season and have gone 4-6 on the road. Overall, the Pelicans are 12-10 and are 2-1 in their last three games.

In terms of the spread, New Orleans currently holds an ATS record of 13-9, which is above .500. New Orleans has covered the spread in seven consecutive home games, while maintaining an ATS record of 9-3 at home as opposed to 4-6 on the road.

The Lakers Are Coming Off A Win

Most recently, the Lakers bested the Suns with a score of 106-103. As the second half got underway, the Lakers were leading by a score of 59-47.

In their last three games, the Lakers have gone 2-1 and are 13-9 overall. In Western Conference play, the Lakers have a record of 10-6 compared to 3-3 against non-conference opponents.

Against the spread, the Lakers have covered in two straight games and have an overall ATS record of 10-12. The Lakers are currently on a four game ATS win streak when they are the favorite, and they hold a 3-6 record against the spread as underdogs.

Pelicans Offense Breakdown

Leading up to today’s matchup, the Pelicans are one of the NBA’s top offenses, averaging 114.6 points per game (12th). When looking at the team’s pace of play, the Pelicans are currently below the league average in possessions per game, averaging just 99.1 per contest. Even though they have preferred to slow the game down, the New Orleans offense is the 23rd ranked team in made field goals per game.

Lakers Offense Breakdown

In 22 games games, Los Angeles has an average of 112.2 points per game (20th). When looking at the Lakers pace of play, they tend to play an up-tempo style of basketball. So far, the team is in the upper half of the NBA in possessions per game, averaging 100.4. Yet, they are still a below average group in terms of made shots per game. So far, the Lakers are 17th in fields goals made per contest.

Pelicans Team Defense

New Orleans’ defense is currently in line with the NBA average for points allowed, allowing an average of 113.4 points per game.

New Orleans’ defense is currently forcing 13.2 turnovers per game, which is 13th in the league. Additionally, they enter the game ranked 26th in blocked shots, with an average of 4.4 rejections per game.

Lakers Team Defense

Coming into the game, the Lakers defense has held opposing team’s to fewer points than the league average in 45.5% of their games. Currently, they are 16th in the NBA at 113.0 points per game allowed.

Most recently, the Lakers’ defense put together a solid performance, giving up just 103 points to the Suns.

Key Players For The Pelicans And Lakers

The outlook for today’s matchup points to Brandon Ingram as the primary point contributor for the Pelicans, finishing with 16 points while maintaining a 6/11 shooting accuracy. During this season, he is delivering an average of 23.7 points per game, along with 5.3 rebounds.

On the flip side, our predictions place LeBron James as the leading scorer for the Lakers. We expect him to conclude the game with a team-high 19 while also collecting 5 rebounds. This season, he is shooting at a field goal percentage of 54.6%, and his scoring average is 24.7 points per game.

Pelicans vs Lakers Trends

  • In their last ten games away from home, the Pelicans have a straight up record of 4-6 while going 4-6 vs. the spread. The team averaged 111 points per game in this stretch.
  • Through their last three home contests, the Lakers offense has averaged 112 points per game while allowing an average of 126. Los Angeles posted an overall record of 1-2 while going 1-2 ATS.
  • The Pelicans have played well in their last five games as the betting underdog, going 4-1 straight up and 5-0 against the spread.
  • Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the favorite, the Lakers have a straight up record of 8-2. Their record vs the spread in these games was 6-4.

Pelicans vs Lakers Prediction

Coming in as the underdogs at +2, we have the Pelicans as the way to go on the point spread. Not only do we have them covering, but our projections show they have a good one of winning this one straight-up, if you’re looking for a higher payout on the moneyline.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 229.5 and given that our model is projecting 231 points between the teams, we like the over.


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


* 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.