The third seeded Lakers, who somehow have the lowest point differential out of any team seeded one through eight in either conference, will be visiting the worst team in the West, the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans have now lost seven straight and will be without Herb Jones, their best defender. On paper, they should be seeding fodder for the Lakers who have championship aspirations. This game should be a freebie for LA and I’m expecting them to take advantage of this.
The Lakers are currently –258 favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook, with the point total set to 244.5. Below, I’ll break down tonight’s matchup and offer my prediction.
Los Angeles Lakers at New Orleans Pelicans preview, prediction
The Lakers will be missing standout guard Austin Reaves, who has seriously turned heads this season with his impressive play. He’s averaging 26.6 PPG and has garnered All-Star attention, an honor he likely won’t be eligible to receive due to missing too many games. Despite missing Reaves, the Lakers are still in an excellent position to win tonight’s game. The -258 Moneyline feels too conservative, and is a good price for the Lakers tonight as they get a layup against a bottom-four defense in the league who’s given up seven straight dubs.
The Pelicans have intriguing pieces on their roster. Rookies Jeremiah Fears and particularly Derik Queen have been impressive this season. With the talent on this roster, they should be better than their 8-29 record, but somehow they’re just not.
Lakers at Pelicans pick, best bet
Best bet: Los Angeles Lakers Moneyline -258
With Herb Jones’ missing and the Pelicans dropping seven straight, tonight’s game looks like free win for the Lakers, who recognize how important each victory is in a loaded Western conference.
