The LA Lakers (8-4) face the New Orleans Pelicans (2-9) Friday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, with tip-off set for 8 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NBA odds around the Lakers vs. Pelicans odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions for the best bets.
2024-25 Season: Lakers won 3-0
The Lakers never found their rhythm in a 121-92 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, failing to cover as 8-point underdogs as the Under (229) comfortably hit. Turnovers (20) crushed L.A.’s chances. G Luka Doncic posted 19 points, 7 boards, and 7 assists, and F Dalton Knecht delivered off the bench, hitting 4-of-5 from deep for 16 points.
The Pelicans dropped their third straight game Wednesday night, losing 125-117 to the Portland Trail Blazers. New Orleans pushed as an 8-point underdog as the Over (232) hit. Rookie C Derik Queen came off the bench to lead the team with 26 points, adding 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. G Saddiq Bey had a strong all-around effort, posting 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists.
Lakers at Pelicans odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:01 a.m. ET.
Moneyline (ML): Lakers -550 (bet $550 to win $100) | Pelicans +400 (bet $100 to win $400)Against the spread (ATS): Lakers -10.5 (-110) | Pelicans +10.5 (-110)Over/Under (O/U): 229.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)Lakers at Pelicans key injuries
Lakers
F LeBron James (sciatica) outG Gabe Vincent (ankle) out
Pelicans
G Jordan Poole (quad) outF Zion Williamson (hamstring) out
For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.
Lakers at Pelicans picks and predictionsPrediction
Lakers 125, Pelicans 106
PASS.
You should expect the Lakers (-550) to win on Friday night, but you can’t bet 5 units to win 1. I’ll take my wager to the spread.
BET LAKERS -10.5 (-110).
The Lakers look primed for a rebound on Friday night, after being punched in the mouth by Oklahoma City, but this group has answered adversity well—winning and covering 6 of its last 8. With the NBA Cup stakes added in, I’m expecting a much sharper effort.
Even in Tuesday’s loss, the issues were more about efficiency than opportunity. Doncic and G Austin Reaves combined to shoot just 34.4% from the floor, each posting season lows in scoring. That’s not likely to happen twice. The Lakers still own one of the league’s most efficient offenses, shooting 51.3% from the field and averaging 117.8 points, far above New Orleans’ 109.1.
The Pelicans, meanwhile, are trending the opposite direction. They’ve dropped 3 straight and the injuries continue to gut their rotation—Williamson, Pool and G Dejounte Murray all missed their last outing—and the defense has crumbled because of it, giving up decisive runs nearly every night. Even with rookie Queen flashing promise off the bench, New Orleans has lost 8 of its last 10 and hasn’t shown the ability to hang with high-powered offenses.
With the Lakers already 1-0 in NBA Cup play and motivated to lock in their knockout-round standing, this sets up as a perfect bounce-back spot. Expect Los Angeles to control the pace, exploit the Pelicans’ depleted defense, and cover Friday night.
BET OVER 229.5 (-110).
The total has cleared in 5 of the last 7 meetings between the Lakers and Pelicans, while Los Angeles has gone Over in 4 of its last 6. New Orleans has hit the Over in 2 of its last 3 and continues to sit near the bottom of the league defensively, especially on the road—opening the door for another high-scoring game.
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