Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers begin their bid for a NBA Championship three-peat today when they clash with the New Orleans Hornets in the opener of their first round playoff series.
Los Angeles has won their last four versis New Orleans and the last time they met up on March 27 the Lakers came away with a 102-84 win as a 9-point home favorite. Bryant led the Lakers with 30 points, while Carl Landry netted 24 points to go along with 10 rebounds for the Hornets.
View New Orleans vs LA Lakers Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
On the Sportsbook line for this matchup, the Lakers sat as 10-point favorites. The total had been pegged by the oddsmakers at 183.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Lakers sit at No. 2 in the current NBA Power Rankings here at Odds Shark, while the Hornets are at No. 14 on that chart. Math models have concluded that the Lakers will win this game 103-97.
How They Match Up:
In rebounding, the battle of the boards features Los Angeles's No. 3-rated squad against New Orleans's No. 24-rated roster. When it comes to long-range shooting, Los Angeles rates No. 12 in the league with 6.4 per game, while their foes tonight rank No. 22 with 5.4 per outing.
Defensively, the Hornets feature the league's No. 7-rated defense on the road, allowing 95.8 points per game. Los Angeles, meanwhile, comes in at No. 8 in the league in scoring at home.
New Orleans lost its last outing, a 121-89 result against the Mavericks on April 13. The Hornets failed to cover in that game as a 10.5-point underdog, while the 210 combined points took the game OVER the total. New Orleans was run off the court by the Mavericks on Wednesday as Dallas blasted them 121-89 at American Airlines Center.
Last time out for Los Angeles, they were a 116-108 Sportsbook as they battled the Kings on the road. The Lakers covered in the match as a 4-point favorite, while 224 combined points moved the game OVER for totals bettors. The Lakers got a 36-point performance from Kobe Bryant as Los Angeles handed Sacramento a 116-108 defeat on Wednesday at Power Balance Pavilion.
New Orleans Hornets Trends:
When playing on Sunday are 8-2
Before playing LA Lakers are 3-7
After playing Dallas are 6-4
After a loss are 6-4
Los Angeles Lakers Trends:
When playing on Sunday are 8-2
Before playing New Orleans are 8-2
After playing Sacramento are 7-3
After a win are 9-1
A few Hornets at Lakers trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Orleans's last 6 games when playing LA Lakers
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Orleans's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 9 of New Orleans's last 12 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Orleans's last 6 games
LA Lakers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against New Orleans
LA Lakers are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games when playing New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 5 of the LA Lakers last 6 games when playing New Orleans
LA Lakers are 11-3 SU in their last 14 games at home
Next up:
New Orleans at LA Lakers, Wednesday, April 20
LA Lakers home to New Orleans, Wednesday, April 20
