The Los Angeles Lakers (1-5, 1-2 Home) play host to the New Orleans Pelicans (4-2, 3-1 Away) Wednesday in a matchup that pits stifling defense against sensational offense. New Orleans outplayed the Los Angeles Clippers 112-91 at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday. With 22 points, CJ McCollum was the top scorer. Zion Williamson chipped in with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists. The Pelicans are fifth in the Western Conference.
Los Angeles triumphed on Sunday at Crypto.com Arena, beating the Denver Nuggets 121-110. LeBron James recorded 26 points to top the scoresheet. With 23 points and 15 rebounds, Anthony Davis also played a part. The Lakers are 14th in the Western Conference.
The teams are meeting for the first time this season. New Orleans swept all three games between the teams last season, the last of which was a 114-111 triumph at Crypto.com Arena on April 1, their third straight head-to-head victory. James led both teams in scoring with 38 points and eight rebounds in defeat.
McCollum had 32 points for the Pelicans, while Brandon Ingram was a key contributor with 29 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. The Pels have been led this season by Ingram (22.0 ppg), Williamson (21.8), and McCollum (20.5). McCollum also has dished 7.2 assists per game. Meanwhile, Jonas Valanciunas is grabbing 10.5 rebounds per game.
James and Davis have powered the Lakers on offense, averaging 25.8 and 23.8 points per game, respectively. Davis also has collected 10.6 rebounds per game, ninth-most in the league, while James has doled out 7.3 assists per game.The Pelicans rank as the league’s third-best team in offensive efficiency, while the Lakers are third in defensive efficiency. The Pelicans are 4-6 in their last 10 games at Crypto.com Arena.
SportsTips’ NBA Pick:
NO Pelicans (-160)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
