Pelicans vs Lakers Prediction, Odds & Tips 16/04/24
Calendar icon Updated 16 Apr 09:42

Pelicans vs Lakers Prediction, Odds & Tips 16/04/24

Kaleb Vanderhorst

Pelicans vs Lakers. Shape of the Teams

The New Orleans Pelicans are set to face off against the Los Angeles Lakers for a spot in the NBA playoffs through the play-in tourney. While the Pelicans certainly have a ton of upside going into the future, it’ll be tough for them to face off against a healthy LA squad.

However, LeBron James and Anthony Davis remain “questionable” for the game, which could potentially give the Zion Williamson-led Pelicans an opening. Williamson is still the athletic freak of nature he always has been, and if Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum show up to play, it would be far too much for the Lakers unless both LeBron and Davis play.

If the dynamic duo does play, it’s going to be a rough night for Zion, as Davis will easily focus on his inside game, seriously hurting his performance down the stretch.

Nonetheless, it should be a great game before the playoffs truly start, kind of like a great appetizer before the main course.

Odds via Tonybet

Pelicans vs Lakers  April 16, 5:30 p.m EDT
New Orleans Pelicans odds  -111
Los Angeles Lakers odds -111
New Orleans Pelicans spread -3.5 +137
Los Angeles Lakers spread -3.5 -156

Bookmakers may see this as an even matchup, but we still have to side with the Los Angeles Lakers on this one – you really can’t overlook playoff experience and veteran leadership.

When games come down to the wire in the fourth quarter you want the ball in the hands of LeBron or somebody else with a history of making clutch shots, and unfortunately for Pelicans fans, you don’t have that guy.

Don’t get it twisted, we are huge fans of the Pelicans roster and see a ton of potential upside, but against a seasoned Lakers team, they better hope they start strong from the jump. If the Pelicans get in a hole it’ll be quite hard to dig themselves out of it.

They have no defensive option on the perimeter to stifle the King’s shooting, and realistically, nobody is competing with Anthony Davis down low. Just take a look at their last head-to-head matchup, where the Lakers controlled the pace of the game.

That is all to say, we have to give the Los Angeles Lakers a slight advantage. With LeBron’s pedigree and Anthony Davis’s playoff experience, it’ll be hard for a younger team without any real 30-point-per-night scorers. 

Pelicans vs Lakers Prediction

Just two days ago, on April 14th, the Lakers were able to walk the Pelicans 108-124, showcasing their ability to beat the younger team. And although these two teams have taken games off each other throughout the season, when it comes down to it, the Lakers simply have better star players.

It could be the fact that we still believe in an aging LeBron James or trust in the veteran presence he and Anthony Davis bring, but regardless, the Lakers have an edge.

As we stated prior, the Pelicans really have no answer for James on the perimeter, as Ingram and McCollum will both struggle to hamper his scoring and don’t even get us started on the inside.

Jonas Valančiūnas is a big guy on the inside, don’t get it twisted, but at the end of the day, he’s no match for a healthy Anthony Davis. He isn’t fast on his feet and has a tendency to draw bad charges due to his lack of horizontal mobility – he’s a roleplayer and nothing more.

AD will give him a quick drop step, and he’ll be in the blender. It’s a complete mismatch, no matter how you look at it.

All in all, it should be a pretty solid game, but down the stretch, we have to give it to the Lakers. Not to harp on the same point over and over, but in the NBA, you just cannot count out King James and his overall veteran presence, and for that reason, it doesn’t seem unreasonable for the Lakers to potentially cover a spread of -3.5

Pelicans vs Lakers Player Pick 

We all know exactly what type of player LeBron James is, but if you’ve forgotten, he’s still got a lethal three-point shot, hops like he’s 24, and has the ability to finish at an all-time level even at his advanced age.

People seem to forget that James has a habit of coasting throughout the regular season before turning it on in the playoffs.

He may come out of the gate a bit slow, especially if he’s gauging the Pelicans, but by the end of the fourth quarter, it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see him score 30+ points.

If you close out too hard, he’ll beat you to the basket and make a fool of Valančiūnas with a euro step, and if you don’t close out hard enough, he’ll make it rain from deep at an efficient clip. It’s a lose-lose situation all around.

While the GOAT title remains one of the most heated debates in the league, LeBron is, at worst, #2 all time, don’t sleep on the King.

Disclaimer: Odds are accurate at the time of posting and subject to change. Please verify the latest odds on our platform before betting.

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