LA Lakers (46-35) at New Orleans (49-32)
When: Sunday, April 14th 2024
Where: Smoothie King Center,
New Orleans, LA
Time: 3:30 ET | TV: League Pass
Opening Odds: New Orleans -3/228.5
A lot is at stake on Sunday afternoon when the Los Angeles Lakers visit the New Orleans Pelicans on the last day of the NBA regular season. The Pelicans would love to avoid a Play-In game and a win on Sunday would secure a No. 6 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. New Orleans won at Golden State, 114-109, on Friday to complete a sweep of a four-game road trip after losing four home games in a row. The Pelicans still can claim the final playoff spot with a loss and a Phoenix loss at Minnesota.
The Lakers received a boost on Friday with the return of forward Anthony Davis in a 123-120 victory at Memphis. Davis had missed the loss against Golden State last Tuesday because of an eye injury. He logged 42 minutes and recorded 36 points and 14 rebounds to help the Lakers strengthen their position in the Play-In round. The win moved L.A. into the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference standings. Being No. 8 means Los Angeles would have to win one of two games to advance to the playoffs rather than facing a single-elimination game in the 9-10 match-up.
This is the fourth meeting of the season between these teams and the previous three have not been close. The Lakers won 133-89 in the semifinals of the NBA In-Season Tournament on Dec. 7 in Las Vegas and 139-122 on Feb. 9 in Los Angeles. The Pelicans got their 129-109 blowout win on New Year’s Eve in New Orleans. The Lakers, who are 4-1 ATS in the last five matchups with New Orleans, are 4-point underdogs with a total of 228.5.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
The Lakers are playing good basketball at the right time of the season. They have gone 7-3 in their last 10 games, however, they have failed to cover the spread in four of their last five contests including three in a row. L.A. is just 18-21 away from home this season, but they have won six of their last seven road games and gone 4-3 ATS during that stretch. It started with a 128-124 win at Milwaukee as a 9.5-point underdog on March 26. LeBron James had 37 points, nine rebounds and 5 assists in the win over Memphis on Friday.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
New Orleans outscored the Warriors 45-22 in the second quarter on Friday to propel them to a much-needed win. Zion Williamson led the way with 26 points and CJ McCollum contributed 28. Trey Murphy III also had a solid game with 24 points. McCollum made 8-of-13 from beyond the arc, including five during the second quarter. The Pelicans have lost five of their last six games at home and are hoping that forward Brandon Ingram, the team’s second-leading scorer (20.9 points per game), can return Sunday after being out since March 21 because of a hyper-extended knee. The Pelicans are 7-5 during his absence.
Prediction:
I’ll take the points with the Lakers in this one. This is a dangerous team with Davis healthy and logging 40+ minutes a night. L.A. has also done very well on the road recently, while the Pelicans have slipped up at home. New Orleans has lost five of their last six games at home and actually have a better road record than home. This one will be tight as both teams have something to play for.
Check out who Bobby Babowski has on his Free NBA Picks page for today.
