The New Orleans Pelicans take on the Los Angeles Lakers. Check out our NBA odds series, which includes our Pelicans Lakers prediction and pick.

The Los Angeles Lakers finally got their first win of the season this past Sunday against the Denver Nuggets. The Lakers are still in a heap of trouble. It is beyond obvious that Russell Westbrook needs to be shipped to another team, but his price tag will make it hard for the organization to execute such a deal. There simply might not be any takers for a player who is far past his prime and — without the elite speed which marked his ascent to the top tier of NBA point guards a decade ago — is a much less valuable commodity. The Lakers will have to fight past their limitations and unearth new solutions on a roster which is just not up to the job of winning large numbers of NBA games. A reasonable person would have a very hard time projecting that the Lakers will be able to finish this season at .500. This team is almost certain to finish with a losing record unless it can engineer a significant overhaul of the roster. No signs of such an overhaul are apparent, meaning that these later years of LeBron James' NBA career will be wasted on mediocrity. It really is remarkable that the Lakers had a championship core with ideal role players who fit into a larger roster plan, and then discarded all those pieces when they could have held onto at least some of them. Rob Pelinka deserves credit for the Anthony Davis trade and winning the 2020 title, but he has completely botched the response to that title, causing the Lakers to fall into a tailspin.

The team Pelinka did business with in the AD trade was, of course, the New Orleans Pelicans. This franchise probably isn't a title contender — not yet — but could realistically envision a brighter future in the years ahead. Zion Williamson is playing regularly, which is an important first step in the development of this team. Brandon Ingram is tremendous, a matchup nightmare who continues to add to his game and become a complete NBA player. C.J. McCollum brings elite shotmaking which makes it hard for opposing defenses to double-team Ingram. Jonas Valanciunas is a solid, sturdy NBA big man. There are lots of good pieces on a roster which grew and developed in last season's playoff run. The Pelicans need Zion to remain healthy, gain ample NBA experience, and learn how to play with the more established parts of this roster. If they get that from this season, the 2024 campaign could be especially exciting in New Orleans. This team is building for the future, and right now, the project is on the right track.

Here are the Pelicans-Lakers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel

NBA Odds: Pelicans-Lakers Odds

New Orleans Pelicans: -3.5 (-106)

Los Angeles Lakers: +3.5 (-114)

Over: 229 (-112)

Under: 229 (-108)

Why The Pelicans Could Cover The Spread

The Pelicans are clearly a better team than the Lakers. They played the Clippers on Sunday in Los Angeles and have stayed in the City of Angels the past few days. They are fresh and rested. Their younger legs should be able to wear down the Lakers in the second half.

Why The Lakers Could Cover The Spread

The fact that the Lakers were able to beat the Nuggets on Sunday and get their first win of the season could lead to a sustained upswing for this team. The Lakers should take the court with a lot more confidence in this game, and that might be enough to carry them across the finish line.

Final Pelicans-Lakers Prediction & Pick

The Pelicans are the better team. They are relatively healthy. No one should infer too much from one Laker victory. This is a bad team which is unlikely to keep pace with New Orleans.

Final Pelicans-Lakers Prediction & Pick: Pelicans -3.5