Bet On Pelicans to Pick Up Home Win vs Thunder
New Orleans Playing as Underdog at Home
The NBA slate brings us a battle between two of the top contenders in the Western Conference on Tuesday night when the New Orleans Pelicans host the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Thunder vs Pelicans betting odds favor visiting Oklahoma City, as it is sitting in second in the Western Conference, just a game behind the Denver Nuggets for the top spot.
The Pelicans are in the second tier of the top teams in the West, tied for fourth with the LA Clippers and five NBA games behind the third-place Minnesota Timberwolves.
The NBA Western Conference standings are very tight, so both teams want this win. Oklahoma City is favored by 1.5 points on the road, with the over/under set at 222.5 points.
Thunder vs Pelicans 
Day/Time:
Records: Thunder (49-21)/Pelicans (44-27)
Location: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, La.
Streaming: NBA League Pass
Thunder in Dogfight for West’s Top Spot
If we were to start the NBA playoffs today, Oklahoma City would have home court advantage against any team before the NBA Finals other than the defending champion Nuggets.
That could be a huge factor if the Thunder are able to advance to the Western Conference finals, but they want that edge against Denver as well. Oklahoma City is also just a half-game ahead of Minnesota, so every game is important through the end of the NBA regular season.
The Thunder are coming off a blowout loss on the road to the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday that snapped their four-game winning streak. Guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a rare off night, finishing with just 12 points in the loss.
The 25-year-old is third in the NBA in scoring this season, averaging 30.5 points per game while also dishing out 6.3 assists per contest, so expect a bounce-back performance from him.
Pelicans Playing Short-Handed
The NBA spreads may be going against the Pelicans in this game because they’re going to be without forward Brandon Ingram, who is sidelined with a knee contusion he suffered last Thursday against Orlando. Ingram is leading the team in assists with 5.8 per game while also scoring 20.9 points per contest.
Despite the absence of Ingram from the lineup, New Orleans has won two straight, thanks in part to leading scorer Zion Williamson, who is coming off a 36-point, seven-rebound, six-assist, two-steal effort in a win over Detroit on Sunday.
Williamson can still be a little inconsistent (he had four points in the team’s previous outing), but he’s leading the team with 22.6 points per night.
Pelicans Win Hard-Fought Battle
Even without Ingram, the Pelicans are a tough NBA team to beat. New Orleans has gone 20-13 at home this season and should be able to eke out the win in this game. Look for Williamson to have another big game, while center Jonas Valanciunas (12.5 points, 9.2 rebounds) provides a major presence in the paint on both ends of the floor.
The strong combination of Williamson and Valanciunas is going to make life hard for the Thunder, who are more of a finesse team for the most part.
The small point spread basically makes Thunder vs Pelicans betting a wager on who will win this contest, and we say to put your money on the home team. This should be a grind-it-out game, so put your money on the under as well.
For NBA betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
