NBA: Los Angeles Lakers VS New Orleans Pelicans Pick and Predictions 02/04/2023

Game: 6:10 PM ET,  Saturday, February 4th, 2023

Venue:  Smoothie Kings Center, New Orleans, Louisiana

TV: NBA League Pass

Lakers: 25-28, 12th place Western Conference

Pelicans: 26-27, 10th place Western Conference

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Lakers -1 (will update)

PointsBet: Point Spread: 

Fanduel: Point Spread: 

Lakers: PG Dennis Shroder, SG Patrick Beverley, SF LeBron James, PF Rui Hachimura, C Anthony Davis

Pelicans: PG CJ McCollum, SG Brandon Ingram, SF Trey Murphy III, PF Herbert Jones, C Jonas Valanciunas

A Western Conference matchup of two teams with bad records who seem to be going different directions.  The Los Angeles Lakers have been bottom of the barrel in the West, and the league ,for most of the season as LeBron has been waiting for C Anbthony Davis to be healthy.  Outside of AD being healthy the team also needs much more… so they traded for PF Rui Hachimura from Washington… and are heavily trying to trade PG Russell Westbrook for anything else.  The result is the league is seeing a Lakers resurgence happening right before their eyes.  They actually beat the Indiana Pacers by 1 point last night!!  Wow!  They beat a team with no actual forwards on their roster.  The New Orleans Pelicans are suffering.  The team got out to a fast start when they had PF Zion Williamson actually playing games… They were a real force to reckon with.  When Zion plays he is the best big man in the NBA because he scores with the highest possible efficiency.. Night like 11 of 12 FG with 10 of 13 free throws were commonplace.. The kid also got rebounds and has remarkable court vision that leads to inspiring assists! Except in 4 seasons Zion has played less than 30% of available games.  The Pelicans should never rely on him.  The player to rely on is SF Brandon Ingram who is great.  He is humble and tall and skilled! And he has been injured and not playing games.  That leaves a team with only star SG/PG CJ McCollum to make do with role players and they just aren’t making do.  The great betting opportunity here is in knowing that the Lakers can cover a 1 point spread against yet another team that has no starting forwards.

The Los Angeles Lakers have won 6 of their last 10 games.  They are on a 2-game winning streak.  They have gone 6-4 ATS during that stretch. They last beat the Indiana Pacers 112-111 for a loss ATS but a win is a win.  The Lakers got exactly what they needed to keep winning this season: 31 points & 14 rebounds (with two blocks) from C Anthony Davis and 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists from PF LeBron James.  That is the formula… as long as they can get production from Rui Hachimura akin to production from an NBA starter and not an undrafted free agent?... They could soon rocket up the standings.

 

The New Orleans Pelicans have won ZERO of their last 10 games.  They have plummeted in the standings from one time contender to outside of the payoff picture.  They stink and they smell from nearby.  The sheer quantity of NBA stars in the injury list (2) does not overcome the amount of NBA stars in the lineup (1).  They are on a nasty 10 game losing streak. The trade deadline is hebrew and they might consider it… since they are closer to a great pick with their own pick… even though they own the Lakers pick this season… It’s sad.. They have a swap they will not get to use if the Lakers win just a couple more games. The drafting of PF Zion Williamson at #1 will actually be the thing that drowns this team in the long term.  If I were New Orleans I would look to swap some role players for a fourth star.  They have to .. they routinely don;t have the first two stars.  And if they ever got them all together?... Wow.. but they won’t.

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Our prediction for Saturday, February 4th is….  Lakers 122- Pelicans 111

Bet on the Lakers.  The Pelicans don’t have a real starting five especially against a team with multiple all-NBA all stars. PF Herbert Jones is very fine on defense but he spent all of last week as the team’s point guard. Bet on the Lakers.

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The Pelicans are 1-5 ATS avenging a loss against an opponent as a favorite this season.

The Pelicans are 2-1 ATS versus the Pelicans at the Pelicans the last 3 seasons.

The Lakers are 3-1 ATS as a road favorite this season.

Lakers: SF LeBron James… LeBron is 60+ points away from breaking and setting a new all-time scoring record in the NBA… He is also a 30 ppg scorer… meaning when he is done with all of it?.. You and Your children will NEVER see that record broken.

Pelicans: SG CJ McCollum.  CJ is wonderful… good shooter, nice leader.. All of that.  Except he is the third player you would want to watch on the Pelicans roster… and he has no help.

Lakers: Darvin “hammy” Ham

Pelicans: Willie “he ready” Green