The Oklahoma City Thunder (57-25) travel to face off against the New Orleans Pelicans (49-33) on Monday, April 29th. This game will be played at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans and televised on NBA. 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 8:30 ET.

Thunder vs Pelicans

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder were able to pick up a 21-point win over the Pelicans in the most recent game of this series. They were favored by 1.5 points heading into the game and easily covered the spread. The Thunder held the Pelicans to just 85 points, which was well below their season average. The game also fell 20 points short of the over/under line of 211 points.

Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 24 points and also added eight assists. New Orleans was led by Brandon Ingram, who finished with 19 points. The Thunder hit 17 threes as a team, and Josh Giddey knocked down four threes on 57.1% shooting from beyond the arc.

Thunder Offense Breakdown

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 24.6 points per game over his last five games while hitting 46.3% of his shots from the field. For the season, he is averaging 30.1 points, 6.2 assists, and 5.5 rebounds. Chet Holmgren is averaging 16.4 points and 8.8 rebounds in his last five games and 16.5 points and 7.9 rebounds for the year.

Oklahoma City comes into the game as the NBA’s top three-point shooting team, at 38%. They are also near the top of the league in three-point shooting percentage at home, at 122.5 points per game. Overall, they are 3rd in scoring at 120.1 points per contest.

Pelicans Offense Breakdown

New Orleans is the NBA’s 16th-ranked scoring offense this season, at 115.1 points per game. Their scoring average at home is 113.7 points per contest. In terms of pace, the Pelicans are 18th in the league, averaging 97.3 possessions per game. The Pelicans are near the bottom of the league in three-point attempts but are 7th in three-point shooting percentage.

Brandon Ingram is averaging 20.8 points per game this season to go along with 5.7 assists and 5.1 rebounds. His three-point shooting percentage for the season is 35.5%. CJ McCollum is averaging 42.9% from three this year but just 21.2% over his last five games. Trey Murphy III is averaging 13.4 points in his last five games while hitting 2.6 threes per game.

Thunder Team Defense

When it comes to defense, the Thunder have been one of the best units in the NBA this season, ranking 11th in points allowed per game at 111.9. On the road, they have been slightly worse, giving up 114.5 points per game (15th).

Over their last five games, Oklahoma City has been even stingier, allowing just 92.4 points per game (2nd). This is part of the reason why opponents have scored less than their season average in 61.0% of their games vs. the Thunder.

One area where opponents have had some success vs. OKC is from beyond the arc. On the year, they are 21st in three-point shooting percentage allowed at 36.1%. However, they have done a good job of limiting three-point attempts, ranking 26th in that category.

Pelicans Team Defense

So far this season, the Pelicans are 8th in the NBA in points allowed per game at 110.4. At home, they have been slightly better, giving up 111.0 points per game, which is 11th in the league. Their opponents have scored less than their season average in 67.1% of their games vs. New Orleans.

One area where the Pelicans have struggled is defending the three-point line. On the season, they are 24th in three-point shooting percentage allowed at 35.2%. However, they have done a good job of not fouling, ranking 7th in made free throws allowed per game at 20.6.

Overall, New Orleans is 2nd in the NBA in steals per game at 8.3 and 9th in defensive rebounds per game. However, they have struggled to protect the rim, ranking just 23rd in blocked shots per game.

Key Players For The Thunder And Pelicans

In today’s game, our projections have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the Thunder with 30 points on 11/20 shooting from the field. During this season, he is delivering an average of 30.1 points per game, along with 5.5 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 20 while also collecting 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

• Through their last three road games, Oklahoma City has an ATS record of just 1-2. However, their overall record was 2-1 while averaging 113 points per game.
• In their last three home games, New Orleans has averaged 99 points per game while allowing 109. The team’s record in this stretch was 1-2 while going 2-1.
• In their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Pelicans have a straight up record of 5-5 and an ATS mark of 6-4.
• The Thunder have played well in their last five games as the betting favorite, going 5-0 straight up and 4-1 against the spread.

Thunder vs Pelicans Prediction

The Thunder is our selection to secure the victory, with a projected score of 117-111. We also like them to cover the spread, so we suggest betting on the Thunder at -4.5.

As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 204.5 and our model has the Thunder and Pelicans finishing with a combined 228 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.