Heading into game two of this first-round Western Conference series between the Pelicans and Thunder, Oklahoma City leads the series 1-0. Game two is set for 9:30 PM ET at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. TNT is carrying the game on TV, and the Thunder are favored by 7.5 points. The over/under line is at 210.5 points, and the money line odds are Thunder -333 and Pelicans +262.

NEW ORLEANS PELICANS VS OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER BETTING PICK

The Pick: New Orleans Pelicans +7.5

This game will be played at Paycom Center at 9:30 ET on Wednesday, April 24th.

WHY BET THE NEW ORLEANS PELICANS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 115-112 in favor of the Thunder.
  • Our projections have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finishing with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists.
  • From the field, we have the Thunder finishing with a field goal percentage of 50.0% and knocking down 14 threes.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a big game for the Thunder, scoring 28 points, and Oklahoma City picked up a 94-92 win over the Pelicans in the most recent game of this series. The Thunder were favored by 9 points heading into the game, and they fell 30.5 points short of the over/under line of 216.5.

Oklahoma City was able to hold the Pelicans to just 38.5% shooting from the field and 28.2% shooting from three-point range. Trey Murphy III knocked down five threes and finished with 21 points for the Pelicans. Jalen Williams was the second-leading scorer for the Thunder with 19 points.

Taking a Look at the Pelicans Chances in Oklahoma City

Today’s O/U line of 210.5 is lower than the average O/U line of 226.8 in Pelicans games this season. In their last three games, the under has hit.

New Orleans has an O/U record of 37-48-0 this season, with 33 of their games as the underdog going for an average of 224.9 points per game.

In their most recent game, the Pelicans lost to the Thunder by a score of 94-92. They were 9-point underdogs going into the game and have gone 18-15 as the underdog this season.

The Pelicans have covered the spread in their last two games and are 45-39 ATS for the season. On the road, they have an ATS record of 24-18, and they are 21-12 ATS as the underdog.

Coming into today’s game, the Pelicans are 8th in the Western Conference with a record of 49-33. Against Western Conference teams, they are 30-22 and 9-7 in their division.

One of the Pelicans’ top shooters from beyond the arc of late has been CJ McCollum, who has hit 3.2 threes per game in his last five games. This has led to an average of 17.8 points per game in that stretch. Over his last three games, Zion Williamson averaged 26 points, and for the season, he is averaging 22.9 points per game. Trey Murphy III has hit 3.6 threes per game in his last five games and is averaging 16.8 points per game in that stretch.

New Orleans is currently 7th in three-point shooting at 38% and 16th in two-point shooting at 54%. As a team, they are hitting 48% of their shots from the field, which is 10th in the NBA. The Pelicans’ scoring average for the season is 115.1 points per game, which is 14th in the league.

On the season, the Pelicans are giving up 110.3 points per game, which is 8th in the NBA. In their last five games, they have been even better, ranking 9th in the league at 107 points per contest.

Overall, opponents have made 46.2% of their field goal attempts against New Orleans, which is 5th in the league. However, they are just 21st in two-point shooting percentage allowed at 55.3%.

One area where the Pelicans have been strong is in steals, as they come into this game 3rd in the NBA at 8.3 steals per game. They are also 8th in made free throws allowed at 20.7 per game.

Will the Oklahoma City Defense Show Up at Home?

Today, the Thunder are favored by 7.5 points against the Pelicans. This season, Oklahoma City has been the favorite in 62 of their 82 games and has gone 48-14 in those games. As the favorite, they have won their last seven games.

Oklahoma City’s ATS record as the favorite is 35-27 at home and 27-15 overall. As the favorite on the road, they are 20-21 ATS. The Thunder have gone 12-9 ATS as the favorite vs. the underdog.

In the Western Conference, the Thunder are in 1st place with a record of 57-25. They have also gone 36-16 against other Western Conference teams and 21-9 in non-conference play. The team has won six straight games.

The Thunder have an O/U record of 44-38-1 this season, with their games averaging 232.2 points per game. In their last two games, the team has gone under the O/U line of 210.5.

Oklahoma City’s last game was also against the Pelicans, and they won by a score of 94-92. The Thunder were favored by 9 points in that game, giving them an ATS loss. The O/U line for that game was 216.5 points.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 26.4 points per game over his last five games while hitting 46.3% of his shots from the field. In these games, he also had 4.4 assists and 5.4 rebounds. For the season, he is averaging 30.1 points, 6.2 assists, and 5.5 rebounds. Chet Holmgren is averaging 16.5 points and 7.9 rebounds this year but is averaging 8.8 rebounds in his last five games.

Overall, the Thunder are averaging 120.1 points per game this season, which is the 3rd best mark in the league. They have been even better at home, averaging 122.4 points per contest. Oklahoma City is also near the top of the league in pace, averaging 99.7 possessions per game.

At home this season, the Thunder have been a top-10 defense, allowing just 109.7 points per game. In their last five games, they have been even better, giving up just 95.8 points per game.

On the season, Oklahoma City has the 11th ranked defense in terms of points allowed per game at 112.4. Opponents have shot just 45.5% from the field against the Thunder, which is 3rd best in the league.

Despite their success in limiting opponents’ field goal percentage, the Thunder have struggled to defend the three-point line this season. On the year, they are 23rd in three-point shooting percentage allowed at 36.3%.