The Thunder host the Pelicans in the NBA playoffs on Wednesday! The Thunder were great down the stretch of Game 1 and hung on to win and take a 1-0 lead in the series. The Pelicans have a chance to even the series before heading back to New Orleans for Game 3. We continue our NBA odds series with a Pelicans-Thunder prediction and pick.

The Pelicans made the Thunder very uncomfortable in Game 1. They just barely lost and pulled it off without Zion Williamson. CJ McCollum and Trey Murphy III were the standouts and McCollum missed a shot at the buzzer which gave the win to the Thunder. Brandon Ingram needs to play better with Zion Williamson out and help McCollum and even Murphy III make up a top three that New Orleans can put up with the Thunder. The key from New Orleans heading into Game 2 is going to be where the extra production comes from without Williamson because he does so much for them on both sides of the ball.

The Thunder looked a little nervous in Game 1, but held on for the win. Those nerves come from the fact that the Thunder are the second youngest team in the NBA and the youngest across the entire postseason. They held on after playing great defense on CJ McCollum at the end of the game. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the leader of the team and has been having an MVP-caliber season. The Thunder need to account for their lack of physicality down low because Valanciunas is a tough matchup for Holmgren. Their perimeter play has been what has gotten them to this point and they need it to carry them against the Pelicans in Game 2 once again.

Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NBA Playoffs Odds: Pelicans-Thunder Game 2 Odds

New Orleans Pelicans: +7.5 (-108)

Moneyline: +265

Oklahoma City Thunder: -7.5 (-112)

Moneyline: -330

Over: 211.5 (-108)

Under: 211.5 (-112)

How to Watch Pelicans vs. Thunder Game 2 

Time: 9:30 pm ET/6:30 pm PT

TV: TNT

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Pelicans Could Cover The Spread/Win

The Pelicans are a better defensive team this season than offense. They are eighth in scoring defense, allowing 110.7 points per game. They are also seventh in field goal percentage defense, allowing 46.4%, and then are second in three-point percentage defense, allowing 34.9% from behind the arc. In the postseason, the Pelicans' defense translated with them allowing 94 points in Game 1 which is tied for third and they are ranked seventh in both field goal percentage defense and three-point percentage defense through Game 1 at 43.5% and 31.3% respectively. Five different Pelicans average at least one steal per game with Dyson Daniels and Herbert Jones tied for the lead at 1.4 per game. Two Pelicans average at least 0.8 blocks per game which is tied for the lead with both Herbert Jones and Jonas Valanciunas. In Game 1, McCollum led the way in steals at two, and then Murphy III led the way in blocks at three. The defense is their strength and needs to continue to play well in Game 2 for them to steal a game.

The offense for the Pelicans has been solid this season. They are 13th in the league in scoring offense, scoring 115.1 points per game. They are also ninth in field goal percentage at 48.6% and fourth in three-point percentage at 38.3%. Six Pelicans average over double digits in points with Brandon Ingram leading the way at 20.8 points per game with Zion Williamson injured. Ingram also leads the team in assists at 5.7 per game. In Game 1, Murphy III led the way at 21 points per game and McCollum led the way in sharing the ball at six assists per game. The offense took a massive hit with Zion Williamson getting injured, but they have firepower still it just needs to be more consistent.

Why The Thunder Could Cover The Spread/Win

The Thunder emerged this year in large part because of their offense. They are third in scoring offense, averaging 120.1 points per game. Th Thunder are also third in total field goal percentage at 49.9% from the field and they are the best three-point shooting team in the NBA at 38.9% from behind the arc. Five different Thunder players average over double digits with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way at 30.1 points per game. Gilgeous-Alexander then leads the team in assists at 6.2 per game. The Thunder were held to 94 points in Game 1 and need to get going more in Game 2. The key for them is balance and efficiency and that should be easier even more in Game 2.

The defense for the Thunder has been in the upper half of the NBA this season. They are 11th in scoring defense, averaging 112.7 points per game. They were also third in total field goal percentage defense in the NBA at 45.5%, and then they are sixth in three-point shooting at 36.1% from behind the arc. Their defense was huge for them in Game 1 and was the deciding factor in McCollum missing the last shot. The Thunder get a lot of attention on offense, but their defense will be the deciding factor in this series specifically in Game 2 once again.

Final Pelicans-Thunder Prediction & Pick

This series has the feel of each game being very close no matter what. The Pelicans are not intimidated by the moment and that is not going to change from Game 1 to Game 2. Expect the Pelicans to keep this game close and cover the spread, but the Thunder are the better team, especially without Zion Williamson and they should win this game very close. The Thunder will move to go up 2-0 in the series on their way to New Orleans for Game 3.

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Final Pelicans-Thunder Prediction & Pick: Pelicans +7.5 (-108)