New Orleans Pelicans vs Los Angeles Lakers Betting Pick & Prediction 3/4/25
At 10:30 ET, the Lakers will host the Pelicans in a Western Conference matchup. Los Angeles is favored by 8.5 and has won six straight games. The over/under line is 230.5.
SN-LA will have TV coverage of the game, which will be played at Crypto.com Arena. The Pelicans are 14th in the West with a 17-44 record, while the Lakers are 2nd at 38-21.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS VS LOS ANGELES LAKERS BETTING PICK
The Pick: New Orleans Pelicans +8.5
This game will be played at Crypto.com Arena at 10:30 ET on Tuesday, March 4th.
WHY BET THE NEW ORLEANS PELICANS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 138-111 in favor of the Pelicans.
- Our projections have Zion Williamson finishing with 25 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.
- From the field, we have the Pelicans finishing with a field goal percentage of 46.8% and knocking down 14 threes.
Do the Pelicans Have What it Takes on the Road?
The Pelicans improved to 17-44 on the season with a 128-121 win over the Jazz on Sunday. New Orleans was favored by 7.5 points but didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total of 249 points went over the line of 232.
A key 14-0 run helped the Pelicans take control, moving the score from 62-57 to 71-62. After the Jazz tied it at 91 going into the 4th, New Orleans outscored them 37-30 in the final quarter to seal the win.
Kelly Olynyk’s 26 points and 9 rebounds on 71.4% shooting from the field led the Pelicans to a win over the Jazz, with Olynyk hitting 3 threes at a 75% clip. CJ McCollum added 25 points and 8 assists, connecting on 5 threes, while Zion Williamson contributed 24 points and 9 assists, shooting 61.1% from the field. Trey Murphy chipped in 20 points.
Olynyk scored 14 points in the 1st quarter and added 10 more in the 4th. McCollum also had 9 points in the final period, while Zion scored 14 in the 2nd quarter. The Pelicans shot 52% from the field, making 15 threes at a 34.1% rate.
Despite giving up 121 points, the Pelicans managed to hold off the Jazz on Sunday. New Orleans allowed 26 points in the 1st quarter but gave up 31 in the 2nd, 34 in the 3rd, and 30 in the 4th. The Jazz shot 47% from the field.
The Pelicans allowed 16 threes on 36% shooting. Utah went 13/17 from the free-throw line. New Orleans grabbed 35 defensive rebounds, gave up 9 offensive boards, and added 8 steals and 5 blocks.
Will the Lakers Pull Through as the Favored Home Team?
The Lakers improved to 38-21 on the season with a 108-102 win over the Clippers on Sunday. L.A. was +2 point underdogs heading into the game but managed to cover the spread with the win. The total points for the game were 210, falling short of the 221.5 O/U line.
A key moment in the game was a 12-0 run by the Lakers, where they extended their lead from 47-43 to 59-43. They held the Clippers to just 15 points in the 2nd quarter, and despite a late push by the Clippers, who outscored the Lakers 25-19 in the 4th quarter, L.A. held on for the win.
Luka Dončić led the way for the Lakers in their win over the Clippers, scoring 29 points, including 12 in the 1st quarter and 10 in the 3rd. He also hit 5 threes, shooting 41.7% from deep. Dalton Knecht added 19 points, making 5 threes at a 62.5% clip, with 8 of his points coming in the opening quarter.
The Lakers connected on 18 threes as a team, shooting 42.9% from beyond the arc and 49.4% overall. LeBron James contributed 17 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds, scoring 6 points in the 3rd quarter and another 5 in the 4th.
Defensively, the Lakers shined in the 2nd quarter, holding the Clippers to just 15 points, which helped them secure a 108-102 win. They also limited the Clippers to 25 points in the 4th quarter. Overall, the Lakers allowed 102 points on 43% shooting from the field.
The Lakers did a solid job defending the three-point line, as the Clippers made 12 threes on 30% shooting. The Clippers also went 14/17 from the free-throw line. The Lakers finished with 30 defensive rebounds, gave up 10 offensive boards, and recorded 8 steals and 6 blocks.