Lakers vs. Pelicans Final Score Prediction for Western Conference Play-In Tournament
By Peter Dewey
Postseason basketball begins in New Orleans as Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans host LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers at 7:30 p.m. EST in the Western Conference play-in tournament.
The winner of this No. 7 (New Orleans) vs. No. 8 (Los Angeles) matchup will earn the No. 7 seed and face the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs. The loser will await the winner of the Golden State Warriors-Sacramento Kings matchup for a chance to earn the No. 8 seed in the West.
There are a ton of ways to bet on this game, but what about using the latest betting odds to predict the final score? Guessing a final score in the NBA is extremely tough, but bettors can wager on winning margins, odd or even final score and many other bets.
Using the latest bettings odds, and my prediction for this game, I’m going to attempt to predict how this game will go on Tuesday night.
Lakers vs. Pelicans Odds, Spread and Total
Lakers vs. Pelicans Expert Prediction and Pick
On Monday, I previewed this game where I predicted that the Lakers would take down New Orleans.
There is obviously a small downside to winning, as the No. 7 seed has to face the defending champion Denver Nuggets in the first round, but I don’t think the Lakers want to take any chances. Los Angeles is just a combined 1-7 straight up against Golden State and Sacramento (the No. 9 and No. 10 seeds) this season, so why put yourself in a spot to be in a win-or-go-home matchup with them?
The Pelicans obviously want to win this game as well, but they have not been good at home this season, going 20-20 against the spread and 21-19 straight up. Meanwhile, the Lakers are 19-21 straight up on the road – despite being a much better home team in the 2023-24 campaign.
Los Angeles is 2-0 in the play-in tournament with James on the roster, earning the No. 7 seed each time. It also has blowout wins in big spots against the Pelicans, dominating them in the In-Season Tournament and in a huge game on Sunday.
The Pels lone win in this season series was a 20-point victory at home when D’Angelo Russell (illness) didn’t play and an injury limited Rui Hachimura to just 7:36 of playing time.
I don’t see the Lakers losing this game with a playoff spot on the line.
If you’re looking to bet on the NBA playoffs, FanDuel Sportsbook has an amazing promotional offer. New users who sign up with the link below and wager $5 will receive $150 in bonus bets -- if their bet wins.
Sign up for FanDuel now!
Lakers vs. Pelicans Final Score Prediction
So, if we’re taking the Lakers to win this game, what do we think the final score will be?
Oddsmakers have set the total in this game to 223.5 points, but the Lakers and Pelicans have combined for 222, 238, 261 and 232 points in their four meetings this season. The lowest-scoring game came in the In-Season Tournament when Los Angeles beat New Orleans by 44 points.
I lean with this matchup going OVER the projected total, even though the Pelicans rank No. 6 in the league in defensive rating this season. The Lakers are the best OVER team in the NBA (47-35-1), including an insane 26-14 to the OVER when on the road.
Oddsmakers have this set as a pick’em, but I have a hard time betting against Los Angeles, even with Brandon Ingram back in action for the Pelicans. If this game goes OVER and the Lakers win by a possession or two, we’re looking at a score pushing 120 points for the winner.
Final Score Prediction: Lakers 118, Pelicans 110
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.