The New Orleans Pelicans face off against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs on Sunday, April 21. Tipoff is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. The Thunder earned the top seed in the Western Conference, and the Pelicans come in at No. 8 after winning the second play-in game.
Zion Williamson will be sidelined for the Pelicans with a hamstring strain. The Thunder enter the series fully healthy.
The Thunder are 8.5-point home favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at 215.5. Oklahoma City is -355 on the moneyline while New Orleans is +280.
Pelicans vs. Thunder, 9:30 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Thunder -8.5
The Thunder should be able to wrap up this series fairly quickly. They went 33-8 at home this season and 2-1 against the Pelicans. Oklahoma City’s young squad ranks third in the NBA in scoring and third in offensive efficiency. The Pelicans are missing a much-needed scorer with Williamson sidelined, and are unlikely to keep up with the pace of the Thunder offense. The Thunder are one of just a few teams in the league that are able to force more turnovers than the Pelicans, and they can score from anywhere on the court, making them nearly impossible to effectively defend. Take Oklahoma City to run away with Game 1.
Over/Under: Over 215.5
Both teams rank in the top 10 in the league in offensive efficiency and in the top seven in the league in defensive efficiency. Their regular season matchups were relatively low-scoring, despite the Thunder’s high-powered offense, with totals of 190, 216, and 231. Given how low the total is, I’m going for a slight over on this matchup though there may be some nail biting through the fourth quarter with that choice.