The Oklahoma City Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans will face off for the third time this season, with each team getting a win on the road. The Thunder continue challenging the Denver Nuggets for first in the Western Conference, sitting half a game back. The Pelicans are half a game back of the Clippers for fourth. It is time to continue our NBA odds series with a Thunder-Pelicans prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
The Thunder have won seven of their last nine games, with the only losses coming to Milwaukee and Indiana. Oklahoma City's loss to the Bucks was discouraging, as they dropped the game by 25 points as just 2.5-point underdogs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a disappointing performance, scoring 12 points and two assists. Shai's performance was a minor setback to his MVP resume, as he leads the young Thunder with 30.5 points, 6.3 assists, and 5.6 rebounds. If the Thunder manages to grab the No. 1 seed in the West, Gilgeous-Alexander will get some votes.
Zion Williamson and the Pelicans are beginning to find their form and may be a dark horse candidate in the Western Conference. The team has won eight of the last ten games. The West is the superior conference, but there are a bunch of teams that are susceptible to being upset in the playoffs. Zion, Brandon Ingram, and CJ McCollum are leading the way, averaging 22.6, 20.9, and 18.6 points respectively. The Pelicans will be tested, with games against the Thunder, Bucks, Celtics, Suns, and Magic on their schedule.
Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Thunder-Pelicans Odds
Oklahoma City Thunder: -1 (-108)
Moneyline: -112
New Orleans Pelicans: +1 (-112)
Moneyline: -104
Over: 226.5 (-110)
Under: 226.5 (-110)
How to Watch Thunder vs. Pelicans
Time: 8 PM ET/5 PM PT
TV: Bally Sports
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Thunder Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Thunder's against-the-spread record hasn't been good over the last ten games, but they've been performing well against the Pelicans. They've covered seven of the last ten games and won three of the last four. Oklahoma City's loss against the Pelicans came as favorites but easily covered the second game with a 24-point win.
The numbers aren't as kind in this matchup over the last stretch of games, but the Thunder's offense is better than the Pelicans' defense overall. The Thunder are fourth, averaging 120.3 points per game.
Why The Pelicans Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Thunder have won seven of their last ten games but haven't performed well for bettors. They are just 2-8 against the spread, with their only covers coming as 16.5-point and 15-point favorites against the Raptors and Grizzlies. The Thunder have been unable to put teams away when they are small favorites, as they've been the favorite in nine of the past ten games.
The Pelicans defense has been performing well over the last five games, owning the league's fourth-best unit. They are allowing only 101.6 points per game and will need to perform at their best to shut down the ninth-best offense in the Thunder. Oklahoma City's struggles to run away with games will come to the forefront if the Pelicans can perform at that level.
Final Thunder-Pelicans Prediction & Pick
The Thunder dominated against the spread to begin the season, but they are going through their worst stretch from a betting perspective. The Thunder have gotten themselves to second in the Western Conference with a 7-3 run, but they are just 2-8 against the spread. Expect the Pelicans to keep this game close and add another against-the-spread loss to Oklahoma City's record. The Pelicans covered four of the last six games.
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Final Thunder-Pelicans Prediction & Pick: Pelicans +1 (-112)
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