The New Orleans Pelicans are 4-1 straight up and against the spread in their last five games against the Los Angeles Lakers, including wins in both of the games between these two teams this season. The Pelicans will try to complete the season sweep over Los Angeles with a win at home Thursday night.
Lakers vs. Pelicans 2018 odds: New Orleans a double-digit Thursday betting favorite
The New Orleans Pelicans hope to solidify their playoff position with a win over the Los Angeles Lakers as clear betting favorites at the sportsbooks Thursday night.
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New Orleans is a 10.5-point home favorite at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. When the Pelicans hosted the Lakers in February as 5.5-point favorites they won 139-117.
Los Angeles Lakers at New Orleans Pelicans
When: Thursday, March 22, 8 p.m. ET
Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans
Betting Line / Total: New Orleans -10.5 / 214.5 Points
New Orleans Pelicans
The playoff picture in the Western Conference seems to change on a near nightly basis as the fourth seed and the 10th seed are separated by only four games. Two solid teams are going to be left on the outside looking in at the end of this race and the Pelicans are hoping not to be one of them.
New Orleans surged into a playoff spot with a 10-0 SU and 9-1 ATS run last month, and has shaken off a recent 1-4 SU and ATS slump with a 3-0 SU and ATS run on this homestand.
The Pelicans defeated Indiana, 96-92, Wednesday. New Orleans is 4-0 SU and ATS in its last four games on the second night of a back to back.
Los Angeles Lakers
On the heels of a nine-game losing streak back on Jan. 5, the Lakers had a record of just 11-27 SU. The Lakers snapped that losing streak with a 4-0 SU and ATS run that eventually blossomed into an impressive 17-7 SU and 18-6 ATS run. Los Angeles has cooled off of late with a 3-5 SU and 2-6 ATS record over its last eight games, but the team’s play in 2018 is cause for optimism heading into next season.
Thursday night’s total is set at 214.5 points. The UNDER is 4-0 in Los Angeles’s last four games, according to the OddsShark NBA Database.
With a record of 21-15 SU and 23-13 ATS away from home, the Pelicans own the third-best road record in the Western Conference and the fifth-best road record in the NBA. This has helped New Orleans offset a 21-15 SU home record that ranks ninth best in the conference. The Pelicans’ toughness on the road will be an asset in the postseason, but the team needs to take care of its business at home to be a real threat down the stretch.
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