Thunder vs Pelicans Pick, Preview & Betting Odds For Saturday, March 11th

Check out our free Thunder 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.

Thunder vs Pelicans NBA Pick & Preview

Sport: NBA
Teams: Oklahoma City Thunder at New Orleans Pelicans
Where: New Orleans at Smoothie King Center
Date: Saturday, March 11th
Betting Odds NO -4, OKC +139 | NO -171 O/U OFF

So far, the Thunder have put together an overall record of 31-35, while going 39-26-1 vs the spread. Over the team’s past 3 games, Oklahoma City has an overall record of 2-1, including going 2-1 against the spread.

Oklahoma City is trying to bounce back from a 132-101 loss to the Suns. Going into this game, the team was 11 point underdogs on the spread, giving them an ATS loss. The game got away from Oklahoma City in the 2nd half, as the Suns extended their 8 point halftime lead to grab a 31 point win. In the loss, Lindy Waters III led the team in scoring with 23 points on a field goal percentage of 50.0%.

So far, the Pelicans have put together an overall record of 32-34, while going 30-36-0 vs the spread. Against the spread, New Orleans has a mark of 1-2. Straight up, their record is 1-2 in these games.

New Orleans is going for yet another win, as they previously defeated the Mavericks at home. With the 113-106 victory, they also covered the spread as 2 point underdogs. New Orleans benefited from holding a substantial first half lead, as the Mavericks actually outscored the Pelicans in the second half. Leading the team in scoring was CJ McCollum, as he contributed 32 points while hitting 54.5% of his shots.

Head To Head Recap & Stats

In the most recent game between the two teams, the Pelicans picked up a 105-101 win over the Thunder. However, heading into the game, New Orleans was favored to win by 6.0 points, giving the Thunder and ATS victory. So far this season, the Pelicans have a record of 3-0 vs the Thunder. In last year’s head-to-head meetings, the Thunder averaged 111.67 points per game vs New Orleans, which was an increase over their season-long average. While the Thunder saw a boost in scoring, the Pelicans averaged 108.33 points per contest in head-to-head meeting vs Oklahoma City. This figure was similar to season-long average. Spanning across the last 5 head-to-head matchups, the Thunder and Pelicans have been competitive, with an average margin of victory sitting at just -2 points per game. This has resulted in a 3-2 ATS record for Oklahoma City. The over-under record in these same games is 3-2, with the teams combining for an average of 222 points per game.

Odds & Free Betting Analysis For This NBA Game

For the season, the Oklahoma City offense is the 2nd ranked unit in the NBA, at 118.2 points per contest. Coming into today’s game, the Thunder will be looking to improve their 3-point shooting numbers, as they are averaging just 12.4 made 3’s per game. Although Oklahoma City has struggled with their outside shot, they have done a good job taking care of the ball, averaging just 12.8 turnovers per game.

On defense, the Thunder will look for some improved play, as they are currently the 15th ranked unit in points allowed per game.

This season, the Thunder offense has primarily worked through Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey who are 1st and 2nd on the team in scoring. In his 56 games, Gilgeous-Alexander is 5th in the NBA at 31.2 points per game. So far, him and Giddey have accounted for 37% of the team’s field goal attempts while combining to average 47.4 points per contest. In addition to sitting 2nd on the team in scoring, Josh Giddey is grabbing 7.8 rebounds for Oklahoma City to go along with 6.2 assists.

Through 66 games, the Pelicans are averaging 114.1 points per contest, placing them 16th in the NBA. Coming into today’s game, the Pelicans will be looking to improve their 3-point shooting numbers, as they are averaging just 10.7 made 3’s per game. If New Orleans continues to struggle with their outside shot, they may look to start playing with more pace, as they are currently 15th in the league in possessions per game.

On defense, the Pelicans will look for some improved play, as they are currently the 13th ranked unit in points allowed per game.

On offense, CJ McCollum leads the Pelicans in scoring at 21.2 points per game, placing him 44th in the NBA. Overall, McCollum has hit 43.6% of his shots while accounting for 20.7% of the team’s looks from the field. In today’s game, he will be working against a defensive unit that is 13th in points allowed to point-guards. At 14.1 points per game, Jonas Valanciunas is the 2nd leading scorer for the Pelicans. For the season, he is 70th in the league in player efficiency rating, while posting a field goal percentage of 54.7%.