The Oklahoma City Thunder will go for a first-round sweep Monday evening when they meet the New Orleans Pelicans in Game 4. The Thunder have taken control of this series and have cruised to wins in Games 2 and 3, while the Pelicans seem to be unraveling after a close Game 1 loss.
Oklahoma City is clean on the injury front. Zion Williamson remains out for New Orleans.
The Thunder are 5-point favorites according to DraftKings Sportsbook with the total set at 206. Oklahoma. City is -192 on the moneyline while New Orleans +160.
Thunder vs. Pelicans, 8:30 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Thunder -5
After a poor shooting performance in Game 1 which was likely due to some playoff nerves, the Thunder have locked in and appear unstoppable. Oklahoma City’s rotation has beaten New Orleans consistently at every moment, and Lu Dort’s defense on Brandon Ingram has stymied the Pelicans forward. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is taking over in key spots and Chet Holmgren has showcased his elite defensive chops.
The Pelicans are 6-6 ATS this season as home underdogs and 21-13-1 ATS as underdogs overall, but they haven’t shown any strong stretches in the last two games to believe they can avoid a sweep. I think Oklahoma City wraps up this series tonight with another dominant showing.
Over/Under: Under 206
Two of the three games in this series have gone under on totals, and generally blowouts tend to hit the under. New Orleans has been unable to generate much offense in this series, largely due to Ingram’s inefficiency and McCollum’s inability to hit the triple. Anything can change in one game but it’s hard to see the Pelicans breaking out offensively. Even with their season on the line, I think New Orleans still struggles. I’ll back the under in what should be a relatively comfortable win for Oklahoma City.
