Lakers vs Pelicans Pick, Preview & Betting Odds For Saturday, February 4th

Check out our free Lakers vs Pelicans pick and preview for this NBA game in New Orleans. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this NBA matchup.

Lakers vs Pelicans NBA Pick & Preview

Sport: NBA
Teams: Los Angeles Lakers at New Orleans Pelicans
Where: New Orleans at Smoothie King Center
Date: Saturday, February 4th
Betting Odds NO -1, LAL -115 | NO -105 O/U 235.5

So far, the Lakers have put together an overall record of 25-28, while going 25-25-3 vs the spread. The Lakers entered today’s game having picked up 2 straight wins. They have won these games by an average of 3.5 points.

Los Angeles is going for another win in today’s game, as they previously took down the Pacers. Going into the game, they were 2 point favorites against the spread. Their 112-111 victory was not enough to cover. Los Angeles pulled out the surprising comeback win, despite going into the 4th quarter trailing by 12 points. Leading the team in scoring was Anthony Davis, as he contributed 31 points while hitting 48.1% of his shots.

So far, the Pelicans have put together an overall record of 26-27, while going 24-29-0 vs the spread. Against the Lakers, the Pelicans are looking to break out of a 10 game losing streak. These defeats have come on an average scoring differential of -11.2 points per contest.

New Orleans is trying to bounce back from a 111-106 loss to the Mavericks. Going into this game, the team was 4 point underdogs on the spread, giving them an ATS loss. In the loss, New Orleans got off to a slow start, trailing by 27 points going into halftime. Leading the team in scoring was Brandon Ingram, as he contributed 26 points while hitting 50.0% of his shots.

Head To Head Recap & Stats

I Last year, the Lakers saw a drop in overall scoring when playing the Pelicans, averaging 104.67 points per game. As for Los Angeles, they actually improved their points per game numbers in head-to-head matchups, averaging 117.67 points per contest against the Pelicans. In terms of betting, New Orleans has an ATS record of 3-2 in the previous 5 matchups vs Los Angeles. This mark has come on an average scoring margin of +5 points per game in favor of the Pelicans. Los Angeles and New Orleans averaged a combined 221 points per game in these games, leading to an over-under mark of 1-4.

Odds & Free Betting Analysis For This NBA Game

The Lakers come into today’s game as one of the better scoring teams in the NBA at 116.9 points per game (6th). Coming into today’s game, the Lakers will be looking to improve their 3-point shooting numbers, as they are averaging just 10.5 made 3’s per game. If the Los Angeles offense is going to turn things around, not only do they need to improve their outside shooting but they must do a better job protecting the ball. Currently, they are averaging 13.5 turnovers per game.

Against the Pelicans, the Lakers will need a stronger defensive effort as they are ranked just 28th in points allowed.

One situation to keep an eye on leading up the game is the availability of LeBron James, as he is currently questionable on the injury report. If he is able to play, the team will have it’s 1-2 punch availble as James leads the team in scoring at 30.1 points per game while Westbrook is 2nd at 15.7. For the season, James is 8th in the NBA in usage rate and 19th in player efficiency. Behind him, Westbrook has taken 15.6% of the team’s field goal attempts, connecting at a rate of 41.2%.

The Pelicans come into today’s game as the 13th ranked scoring offense at 114.8 points per game. Coming into today’s game, the Pelicans will be looking to improve their 3-point shooting numbers, as they are averaging just 10.8 made 3’s per game. If the New Orleans offense is going to turn things around, not only do they need to improve their outside shooting but they must do a better job protecting the ball. Currently, they are averaging 14.5 turnovers per game.

Against the Lakers, the Pelicans will need a stronger defensive effort as they are ranked just 13th in points allowed.

On offense, CJ McCollum leads the Pelicans in scoring at 21.2 points per game, placing him 43rd in the NBA. Overall, McCollum has hit 43.3% of his shots while accounting for 20.8% of the team’s looks from the field. In today’s game, he will be working against a defensive unit that is 25th in points allowed to point-guards. At 14.5 points per game, Jonas Valanciunas is the 2nd leading scorer for the Pelicans. For the season, he is 69th in the league in player efficiency rating, while posting a field goal percentage of 53.5%.