Lakers vs. Pelicans Point Spread Pick 2/4/23

Los Angeles Lakers (25-28 SU, 25-25-3 ATS) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (26-27 SU, 24-29-0 ATS)
When: Saturday, February 4th, 6:00 PM (ET)
Where: Smoothie King Center, LA, New Orleans
TV: ESPN2

Point Spread: LAL -1/NO -1
Total: 235.5
Money Line: Los Angeles Lakers -115/-105

Notable Injuries

Lakers

• Anthony Davis (Probable) Foot
• LeBron James (Questionable) Ankle
• Austin Reaves (Out) Hamstring

Pelicans

• Zion Williamson (Out) Hamstring
• Dyson Daniels (Out) Ankle
• EJ Liddell (Out) Knee

Recent Form

Los Angeles is 25-28 overall heading into the game. When taking to the road, Los Angeles has a mark of 12-16 and a win percentage of 43%. Currently, the team is 12th in the Western Conference. So far, they are 25-25-3 vs. the spread. In their matchup against New Orleans, the Los Angeles Lakers have won 2 straight games and will look to push that mark to 3 in a row.

Most recently, the Lakers took down the Pacers by a score of 112-111. Anthony Davis finished with 31 points, which was the most on the team. Los Angeles did not cover the spread as 2-point favorites.

Heading into the game, New Orleans is 26-27 overall. When playing at home, New Orleans has a mark of 17-9 and a win percentage of 65%. Currently, the team is 11th in the Western Conference. So far, they are 24-29-0 vs. the spread. The Pelicans need a win in today’s matchup vs. Los Angeles to avoid their 11th straight loss.

In their most recent matchup, the Mavericks defeated New Orleans with a score of 111-106. Brandon Ingram scored the most points for the team with 26, but it was not enough to earn the win. The Pelicans were 4 points ahead going into the game.

The Historicals

In the most recent matchup between the two teams, the Lakers picked up the 120-117 win over the Pelicans. Heading into the game, Los Angeles was the 3.0-point underdogs, giving them an ATS win. This has been the only matchup between the two teams this season. In terms of betting, New Orleans has an ATS record of 3-2 in the previous five matchups vs. Los Angeles. This mark has come on an average scoring margin of +5 points per game in favor of the Pelicans. Over the course of these games, they averaged 221 points per game, leading a 1-4 over-under record.

Analysis

This season, Los Angeles is among the league leaders in scoring, averaging 116.9 points per game. So far, the Lakers are also one of the more up-tempo teams in the league, sitting at 102.6 possessions per game. Los Angeles has struggled with their 3-point shot this season, as they are currently ranked just 27th in 3-point shooting percentage at 33.6%. In addition, they are near the bottom of the league in attempts, at just 31.1 attempts per contest. Defense has been a struggle for Los Angeles, as they are currently allowing 115.15 points per game. In terms of their 3-point defense, opposing teams have hit 35.4% of their looks from deep, placing the Lakers 18th in the NBA.

Heading into the game, LeBron James is listed as questionable on the injury report. This season, he leads the team with a per-game scoring average of 30.1. Currently, Russell Westbrook is 2nd on the team in scoring at 15.7 points per game.

This season, the Pelicans have loved to get up and down the court, as they are currently 11th in the league in possessions per game. However, this has not fully translated into the offensive success they are looking for, as New Orleans is 13th in scoring at 114.8 points per game. New Orleans comes into the game ranked just 29th in 3-point attempts per game. So far, they have connected on 35.5% of their shots from deep, which places them 25th in the NBA. On defense, the Pelicans allow an average of 110.3 points per game, placing them 13th in the league. So far, teams have shot 36.48% on their looks from outside vs. New Orleans. This figure places them 26th in 3-point shooting defense.

CJ McCollum is the top scorer for New Orleans, averaging 21.2 points per game. This season, his field goal percentage is 43.3%. The team’s second-leading scorer is Jonas Valanciunas with an average of 14.5 points per game.

Betting Trends

• The Lakers are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following an ATS loss.
• The Lakers are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 Saturday games.
• The Pelicans are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games vs. a team with a losing straight-up record.
• The Pelicans are 1-4 ATS in their last five home games.

Joes Pick To Cover The Spread

With all eyes on Lebron James to break Kareem’s scoring record (which he’ll likely want to do at home), I believe it’s enough of a distraction to foul up the Lakers’ team chemistry. I love the Pels at +1.5 tonight!