The Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans will meet on the final day of the season in what is an utterly captivating matchup.
The Lakers come in on a slight cold streak, having dropped two of their last three, and now need a win here to secure a spot in the top half of next week’s play-in tournament. The Pelicans, meanwhile, lead the Phoenix Suns by a game and could lock up the last playoff spot with a victory here.
Who comes away with the win? Let's get right into it with our in-depth Lakers vs. Pelicans predictions and NBA picks for Sunday, April 14.
Lakers vs Pelicans predictions
My best bet
Pelicans -3 (-110 at Caesars)
My analysis
The Los Angeles Lakers’ offense has continued to carry this team to great heights in the month of April, ranking fifth in efficiency rating to push the team out to a 4-2 record. While that’s all well and good, the defense has lagged behind and was a huge liability in recent losses to the Warriors and Timberwolves.
That will be a big factor on Sunday when L.A. meets the sixth-best offense in the league this month. The New Orleans Pelicans may be down on their luck defensively but they have been one of the best in the league at defending the 3-ball all season.
The Pelicans are playing some inspired basketball with big wins against the Suns, Kings, and Warriors over their four-game winning streak and have continued to excel at forcing turnovers. The Lakers have been careless with the basketball this season, but that issue has grown worse this month with a 22nd-ranked turnover rate.
If things weren’t scary enough for the Lakers, Brandon Ingram was upgraded as questionable for this game after missing about a month with an injury. If he plays, this team’s weakness on the glass and as well as its slight dip in defense against jump shots should dissipate and create an unfriendly matchup.
The Lakers are just 18-20 straight-up on the road this season and stand at 17-22 ATS in these games. In a strange twist, the Pelicans have been a dream for bettors this season but have struggled more at home, yet they still have a winning record ATS in those games. They should take care of business here as the team playing the better ball, and one which can win the battle on the 3-point line against a Lakers team that is dead-last at defending that shot this month.
Lakers vs Pelicans same-game parlay (SGP)
Pelicans -4
CJ McCollum 4+ threes
Jonas Valanciunas Over 7.5 rebounds
The Lakers are allowing 43.3% of shots to fall from beyond the arc in April. It’s nothing new, however, given they’re 24th in that regard for the season while allowing around 38% of their opponents’ shots from 3-point range, which also ranks 24th. That’s why I’ll fire up CJ McCollum to hit four triples here.
He’s done it in six straight games and continues to be one of the biggest weapons this team has going, taking 11.8 shots per game from outside during this time. If Ingram plays, his volume may go down a hair, but he’s arguably the Pels’ greatest source of scoring right now so it’s hard to see him getting a great decrease.
Then, I’ll go for Jonas Valanciunas to record eight boards for a third straight game against Anthony Davis. He’s averaged nearly 10 rebounds per game in this matchup over his career, and while his rebounding numbers have been fleeting of late, his minutes have fluctuated greatly. He should be on the floor plenty against a team that likes to take the ball inside, and with that he should flirt with a double-double.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Lakers vs Pelicans odds
Lakers vs Pelicans live odds
Lakers vs Pelicans opening odds
- Spread: Los Angeles +4 | New Orleans -4
- Moneyline: Los Angeles +150 | New Orleans -167
- Over/Under: Over 228 | Under 228
Lakers vs Pelicans spread and Over/Under analysis
- The Pelicans opened up as 3-point favorites, and after some immediate buy-in from bettors to push them to -3.5, the money briefly came back in on the Lakers to return this spread to its opening number. We’ve seen nothing but love for New Orleans since, and they’re out to four points now at most books.
- As you might guess, the Lakers are once again a popular public bet, commanding 61% of the spread bets at DraftKings. But it’s the Pelicans who have accounted for 54% of the handle.
- The total has steadily fallen from the opening number of 229.5, but it’s only dropped by a point as of late Sunday morning.
- A solid 72% of the bets and 92% of the money are on the Over.
Lakers vs Pelicans trend
The Pelicans have hit the 1H moneyline in 54 of their last 77 games (+27.85 Units / 19% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Lakers vs. Pelicans.
Lakers vs Pelicans game info
| Location: | Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA |
| Date: | Sunday, 4-14-2024 |
| Tip-off: | 3:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ESPN |
Lakers vs Pelicans latest injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Covers may receive advertising commissions for visits to a sportsbook or betting site.
