The New Orleans Pelicans (49-33) travel to face off against the Oklahoma City Thunder (57-25) on Wednesday, April 24th. This game will be played at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City 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 9:30 ET.

Pelicans vs Thunder

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers in the most recent game of this Thunder-Pelicans series, scoring 28 points for the Thunder. Gilgeous-Alexander’s big game helped the Thunder to a 94-92 win. The Thunder were favored by nine points at home and didn’t cover the spread. Going into the game, the over/under line was 216.5 points, and the teams fell well short of that number with 186 points.

Neither team shot the ball well from beyond the arc in the most recent game, as the Thunder and Pelicans combined for just 21 made threes. The Pelicans shot just 28.2% from three-point range. Trey Murphy III made five threes for the Pelicans and finished with 21 points. Gilgeous-Alexander was the game’s leading scorer with 28 points.

Pelicans Offense Breakdown

Brandon Ingram comes into the game averaging 20.8 points per game this season to go along with 5.7 assists. Over his last five games, CJ McCollum has averaged 17.8 points while hitting 41.2% of his shots and 38.1% of his threes. Trey Murphy III has averaged 16.8 points in his last five games while hitting 51.7% of his shots from the field and 45% of his threes.

New Orleans is averaging 115.1 points per game this season, which is 14th in the league. Their scoring average at home is 114.4 and 114.7 on the road. The Pelicans are 7th in three-point shooting this year, hitting 38% of their looks from downtown.

Thunder Offense Breakdown

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 26.4 points per game over his last five games on a field goal percentage of 46.3%. This is slightly below his season average of 30.1 points per game. In addition to his scoring, he is also averaging 6.2 assists and 5.5 rebounds for the season. Chet Holmgren is averaging 16.5 points and 7.9 rebounds for the season but has averaged 14.8 points and 8.8 rebounds in his last five games.

Overall, the Thunder are averaging 120.1 points per game this season, which is the 3rd best mark in the league. They have been even better at home, averaging 122.4 points per contest. Oklahoma City’s field goal percentage of 49% is the 2nd best mark in the league, and they are also 2nd in three-point shooting.

Pelicans Team Defense

When it comes to defense, the New Orleans Pelicans have been one of the best units in the league this season. They are currently 8th in points allowed per game at 110.3. In terms of field goal percentage allowed, they are 5th at 46.2%. One area where they have struggled a bit is defending the three-point line, as they are 24th in three-point percentage allowed at 34.9%.

Over their last five games, the Pelicans have been even better on defense, ranking 9th in points allowed at 107 per game. During this stretch, opponents have shot just 45.6% from the field and 34.8% from three.

When it comes to rebounding, New Orleans is 10th in the league at 44 boards per game. They are also 3rd in steals at 8.3 per contest. In terms of blocked shots, they are 22nd at 4.6 per game.

Thunder Team Defense

As the Thunder get ready to take on the Pelicans, they will do so as the 11th ranked defense in terms of points allowed per game at 112.4. Oklahoma City has been much better at home, where they are giving up just 109.7 points per game (7th).

One of the reasons the Thunder have been so good defensively is their ability to block shots and create steals. They lead the NBA in both categories at 6.6 blocks and 8.5 steals per game. Over their last five games, they have been even better, giving up just 95.8 points per game.

One area where the Thunder have struggled defensively is defending the three-point shot. For the season, they are 23rd in three-point shooting percentage allowed at 36.3%. Opposing teams have been able to get up 37.2 three-point attempts per game against them.

Key Players For The Pelicans And Thunder

The outlook for today’s matchup points to Brandon Ingram as the primary point contributor for the Pelicans, finishing with 20 points while maintaining a 8/16 shooting accuracy. During this season, he is delivering an average of 20.8 points per game, along with 5.1 rebounds.

As for Oklahoma City, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is projected to be the primary scorer for the Thunder. Our forecast has him finishing the game with 30, and adding 5 rebounds. This season, he is shooting at a field goal percentage of 53.5%, and his scoring average is 30.1 points per game.

Pelicans vs Thunder Trends

• The Pelicans are 3-0 ATS in their three last road games and 2-1 straight-up.
• Across their ten previous home games, Oklahoma City has an ATS mark of 2-8. Their straight up record in these matchups was 6-4 while averaging 113 points per game.
• Through their last three games as the underdog, the Pelicans have an ATS record of 3-0 and a straight up mark of 2-1.
• As the betting favorite, the Thunder have an ATS mark of just 6-4 in their last ten games. Oklahoma City posted a straight up mark of 9-1 in these matchups.

Pelicans vs Thunder Prediction

In this Pelicans vs. Thunder matchup, our point-spread bet is on the Pelicans at +7.5. While we project the Thunder to win 115-112, our recommendation is to bet on the Pelicans for the point-spread.

Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 210.5, and our model predicts the Pelicans and Thunder to score a combined 227 points. We recommend betting on 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.