Oklahoma City Thunder vs New Orleans Pelicans Betting Pick & Prediction 12/7/24
At 7:00 ET, the Pelicans will host the Thunder in a Western Conference matchup. Oklahoma City is favored by 7.5 and has won two straight games. The over/under line is set at 225.
Currently, the Thunder are 17-5 and in first place in the West. The Pelicans are 5-18 and in 15th place in the conference.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER VS NEW ORLEANS PELICANS BETTING PICK
The Pick: New Orleans Pelicans +7.5
This game will be played at Smoothie King Center at 7:00 ET on Saturday, December 7th.
WHY BET THE NEW ORLEANS PELICANS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 125-116 in favor of the Pelicans.
- Our projections have Dejounte Murray finishing with 22 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists.
- From the field, we have the Pelicans finishing with a field goal percentage of 46.1% and knocking down 15 threes.
Do the Thunder Have a Shot at a Road Win?
The Thunder improved to 17-5 on the season with a dominant 129-92 win over the Raptors on Thursday. Oklahoma City, favored by 10 points, covered the spread with ease, winning by 37. The total score of 221 points fell just short of the 227-point over/under line.
Oklahoma City took control early with a 13-0 run, turning a 3-3 tie into a 16-3 lead. They outscored Toronto 34-17 in the 1st quarter and continued to pull away, leading 99-65 going into the 4th quarter.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder’s offense with 30 points and 5 assists in their 129-92 win over the Raptors, scoring 13 points in the 1st quarter and 15 in the 3rd. Jalen Williams added 20 points, and Isaiah Joe contributed 16 points, hitting 4 threes at a 66.7% rate.
Oklahoma City made 17 threes, shooting 36.2% from deep, with an overall field goal percentage of 48%. Ajay Mitchell scored 11 of his 13 points in the 4th quarter, while Kenrich Williams also added 8 of his 13 points in the final period.
The Thunder put on a defensive clinic against the Raptors, holding them to just 92 points on Thursday. Oklahoma City set the tone early, allowing only 17 points in the 1st quarter and kept the pressure on throughout, giving up 25, 23, and 27 points in the remaining quarters.
Defensively, the Thunder limited Toronto to 35% shooting, including just 24% from beyond the arc, where the Raptors made only 11 threes. Oklahoma City also came up with 15 steals and 11 blocks in the game.
Can the New Orleans Offense Score Enough at Home?
The Pelicans improved to 5-18 on the season with a 126-124 win over the Suns on Thursday. New Orleans, who were +1.5 point underdogs, not only won but also covered the spread. The game’s total points of 250.5 went well over the 223.5 O/U line.
After falling behind 55-49 following an 11-0 run by the Suns, New Orleans turned things around with a dominant 45-28 third quarter. They entered the 4th up 99-93 and held on, despite being outscored 31-27 in the final period.
Brandon Ingram’s 21-point explosion in the 3rd quarter helped him finish with 29 points and 7 rebounds, leading the Pelicans to a 126-124 win over the Suns. Ingram shot 52.6% from the field and hit 3 three-pointers at a 50% rate.
CJ McCollum added 25 points, including 13 in the 4th quarter, while Trey Murphy contributed 19 points, knocking down 3 threes at 50% efficiency. The Pelicans connected on 14 threes, shooting 38.9% from deep and 49.5% overall.
Despite a shaky defensive performance, the Pelicans managed to pull off a win against the Suns, allowing 124 points on 50% shooting. New Orleans gave up 33 points in the 1st quarter and 31 in the 4th, but they tightened up a bit in the 3rd, holding Phoenix to 28 points.
The Pelicans also struggled to contain the Suns from beyond the arc, where Phoenix hit 17 threes at a 37% clip. New Orleans sent the Suns to the line 26 times, where they made 21 free throws. The Pelicans finished with 32 defensive rebounds, allowing 10 offensive boards, while adding 13 steals and 4 blocks.