New Orleans Pelicans vs LA Lakers Match Preview, Prediction, Betting Spreads & Odds - April 1st, 2022 | NBA Season 2021-22
The LA Lakers will host the New Orleans Pelicans at the Crypto.com Arena for their third and final matchup of the regular-season on April 1st.
The New Orleans Pelicans will head into this game on the back of a 117-107 win against the Portland Trail Blazers. With their second consecutive win, the Pelicans improved to 33-43 on the season while holding onto ninth place in the West.
Meanwhile, the LA Lakers are coming off a 109-122 loss against the Utah Jazz. With their fourth consecutive loss, the Lakers are currently out of the Play-In spots as they feature a 31-45 record.
New Orleans currently holds a 2-0 series lead against the Lakers this season. With the game having serious connotations for the Play-In tournament, it emerges as a must win fixture for LA.
Match Details
Fixture - New Orleans Pelicans vs LA Lakers | 2021-22 NBA Season
Date & Time - Friday, April 1st, 2022; 10:30 PM ET (Saturday, April 2nd, 2022; 8:00 AM IST)
Venue - Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
New Orleans Pelicans Preview
The New Orleans Pelicans have made a steady rise to enter Play-In contention. Although NOLA didn't start off well in the month of March, the young unit showed incredible tenacity as they put together a series of wins to occupy ninth place in the West.
With their latest win against the Trail Blazers, the Pelicans find themselves on a two-game winning streak. Having won three of their last five games, New Orleans have also created some distance between themselves and tenth place.
A large part of their success in their recent win could be attributed to CJ McCollum's performance. McCollum notched 25 points for the night - which paired well with contributions from Brandon Ingram, Jonas Valanciunas and Jaxson Hayes.
@B_Ingram13that's tough 😤 @B_Ingram13 https://t.co/n45M2YuHS7
With incandescent offense and some solid defense to pair, the Pelicans will be a competitive side to play against in the Play-In.
New Orleans Pelicans Predicted Lineup
G - CJ McCollum | G - Brandon Ingram | F - Herbert Jones | F - Jaxson Hayes | C - Jonas Valanciunas
LA Lakers Preview
The LA Lakers find themselves tied for tenth place in the West following their loss against the Utah Jazz on Thursday. With an extremely shorthanded rotation, the Lakers also extended their losing streak to four games.
The loss to the Jazz still saw a solid effort from the remaining members of this decimated Lakers' roster. With Dwight Howard and Russell Westbrook recording 20+ points for the game, the Lakers still showed some signs of life.
"Dwight Howard has finished a few of those in his career." https://t.co/sZ9A7xrYeb
Unfortunately, the Purple and Gold played virtually no defense as Utah recorded 30+ points in every quarter other than the fourth.
The Lakers may see a glimmer of hope as Anthony Davis and LeBron James are due to return for Friday's matchup. Although the game is being played on the second night of a back-to-back, having two healthy superstars may give the side some firepower.
Lakers star Anthony Davis plans to return Friday vs. the Pelicans, barring setback, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Davis has been sidelined since Feb. 14 due to mid-foot sprain. Big Lakers-Pelicans game with Play-In ramifications.
LA Lakers Predicted Lineup
G - Russell Westbrook | G - Austin Reaves | F - LeBron James | F - Stanley Johnson | C - Anthony Davis
New Orleans Pelicans vs LA Lakers Betting Odds & Spreads
The oddsmakers have favored the Lakers in this matchup against the Pelicans primarily because of their superstars returning to the rotation.
Although the Pelicans have been in better form and have beaten the Lakers twice this season already, LA will see LeBron James and Anthony Davis join the fray for the final leg of the regular-season.
This could improve the Lakers' fortunes as they battle to hold onto a spot in the Play-In tournament.
Odds Sourced From: Action Network
Pelicans vs LA Lakers Betting Tips
New Orleans Pelicans
- The New Orleans Pelicans have a 2-0 lead against the Lakers this season.
- The Pelicans have had an offensive rating of 118.5 in their last 10 games.
- The Pelicans have a 15-22 record on the road.
Click here to bet on the Pelicans beating the Lakers by a margin of 1-10 points.
LA Lakers
- The LA Lakers are on a four-game losing streak.
- The Lakers have an offensive rating of 115.0 in their last 10 games.
- LeBron James and Anthony Davis are due to return for this matchup at home.
Click here to bet on the Total Points for the Pelicans vs Lakers matchup being over 233.5.
Pelicans vs Lakers Match Predictions
The New Orleans Pelicans have a better shot of winning this matchup on the road.
Although the Lakers are a relatively better team at home and will be a lot more formidable with LeBron James and Anthony Davis returning to the lineup, the Pelicans have shown themselves to be a far more cohesive unit at this point in the season.
The Lakers might struggle to find their footing as Davis returns from another injury. While the Purple and Gold could still win given all their superstars being available, adjustment issues may see them face a fair bit of problems in the game.
Click here to register on FanDuel to bet on the outcome of the Pelicans vs Lakers game.
Where to watch the Pelicans vs Lakers game?
The New Orleans Pelicans vs LA Lakers game will be broadcast nationally on NBA TV. The game will also be available on the NBA’s League Pass platform. Fans can listen to the game by tuning into ESPN LA 710/ KWKW (S) as well.