The Oklahoma City Thunder (31-13) travel to face off against the New Orleans Pelicans (26-18) on Friday, January 26th. This game will be played at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans and televised on BSNO. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.

Thunder vs Pelicans

The Thunder Are Coming Off A Win

In their most recent game, the Thunder took down the Spurs by a score of 140-114. At the beginning of the second half, the Thunder were leading 63-52.

As the Thunder take on the Pelicans, they look to build on their above .500 record of 31-13. When playing on the road, the Thunder have gone 14-8, compared to a 17-5 record at home.

Oklahoma City has an ATS record above .500, currently standing at 30-14 against the spread. This season, Oklahoma City has a 19-9 record against the spread when they are favored, and they are 11-5 when playing as underdogs.

The Pelicans Are Coming Off A Win

In their latest game against the Jazz, CJ McCollum was the top scorer for the Pelicans’ offense, scoring 33 points and shooting 11/17 from the field. Herbert Jones also added 22 points as the Pelicans won the game by a score of 153-124.

In their last ten games, the Pelicans are 6-4 and have an overall record of 26-18 as they prepare to face the Thunder. Against Western Conference teams, the Pelicans are 18-16 and have gone 8-2 in non-conference games for a total record of 26-18.

Presently, New Orleans boasts an ATS record of 25-19, which is above .500 against the spread. As the favorite this season, New Orleans is 13-12 vs. the spread while going 12-7 as the underdog.

Thunder Offense Breakdown

For the season, the Oklahoma City offense is the 3rd ranked unit in the NBA, at 121.9 points per contest.

The Thunder are one of the top offensive teams in the NBA, ranking 3rd in scoring at 121.9 points per game. They have been especially potent on the road, averaging 119.9 points per contest away from home.

Oklahoma City’s offense is built around their ability to get to the rim, as they are 3rd in the league in two-point field goal percentage at 57%. Overall, they are shooting 50% from the field, which is 2nd in the NBA.

When it comes to three-point shooting, the Thunder are 14th in made threes at 13.1 per game. They are hitting 39% of their shots from beyond the arc, which is 2nd in the league.

Pelicans Offense Breakdown

The Pelicans arrive for today’s game as one of the NBA’s top offensive teams, scoring an average of 117.5 points per game (12th).

At 117.5 points per game, the Pelicans are 12th in the NBA in scoring. In terms of pace, they are 19th in the league at 98.3 possessions per game. New Orleans is also 8th in field goal percentage at 48%.

So far this season, the Pelicans have outscored the NBA average in 54.5% of their games. In terms of three-point shooting, they are 5th in the league at 38% but are just 23rd in three-point attempts.

When playing at home, the Pelicans are averaging 117.6 points per game compared to 117.4 on the road. In terms of assists, they are 11th in the NBA at 27.2 per game.

Thunder Team Defense

Currently, the Thunder’s defense holds the 14th rank in the NBA, allowing 113.6 points per game. Inside the arc, the Thunder defense is giving up a shooting percentage of 51.3% and 36.2% from three-point territory.

Pelicans Team Defense

At this time, the Pelicans’ defense is positioned 10th in the NBA, permitting 112.5 points per game. When it comes to defending inside the arc, the Pelicans squad is permitting opposing teams to shoot at a clip of 55.5% inside the arc, and they’re also giving up 34.4% from downtown.

Key Players For The Thunder And Pelicans

In today’s game, we anticipate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the scoring for the Thunder, contributing 29 points while shooting 10/18 from the field. Throughout this season, his average stands at 31.1 points per game, along with 5.6 rebounds.

On the flip side, our predictions place Brandon Ingram as the leading scorer for the Pelicans. We expect him to conclude the game with a team-high 23 while also collecting 5 rebounds. This season, he is shooting at a field goal percentage of 48.7%, and his scoring average is 21.4 points per game.

Thunder vs Pelicans Trends

• When looking at their past five road matchups, Oklahoma City has an ATS record of 3-2 while averaging 119 per game. The team went 3-2 overall in these games.
• In their last ten games at home, the Pelicans have a straight up record of 8-2 while going 7-3 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 126 points per game in these contests.
• The last three games that Oklahoma City was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 1-2 while going 1-2 straight up.
• In their last five games as the betting favorite, the Pelicans have a strong straight up record of 3-2. In addition, their ATS record was 3-2 in these scenarios.

Thunder vs Pelicans Prediction

Coming in as the underdogs at +2.5, we have the Thunder 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.

As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 241, and our model projects the Thunder and Pelicans to reach a combined total of 235 points. Our bet is on taking the under.

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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.