The Los Angeles Lakers are back in the play-in tournament for the third time in franchise history, now needing to get past the New Orleans Pelicans on the road as the No. 8 seed challenging the No. 7 seed when the two sides square off on Tuesday night.
Here's everything you need to know ahead of this highly-anticipated matchup with plenty at stake.
Game Information
- Matchup Page: No. 8 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 7 New Orleans Pelicans
- Date: Tuesday, April 16, 2024
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Smoothie King Center; New Orleans, LA
The #SoFiPlayIn matchups are set!
— NBA (@NBA) April 15, 2024
Tuesday on TNT:
7:30pm/et: #8 Lakers at #7 Pelicans
10:00pm/et: #10 Warriors at #9 Kings
Wednesday on ESPN:
7:00pm/et: #8 Heat at #7 Sixers
9:30pm/et: #10 Hawks at #9 Bulls pic.twitter.com/mARzNZhZJ9
Betting Odds
| Team | Spread | Money | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Lakers | -1 (-108) | -110 | O 227.5 (-110) |
| New Orleans Pelicans | +1 (-112) | -106 | U 227.5 (-110) |
The initial spread as of late Sunday night is just a mere point, which marks the lowest of any game between Los Angeles and New Orleans this season. The same goes for the OVER/UNDER of 227.5, with the previous low being 229.5 during the league's in-season tournament back in December.
2023-24 head-to-head History (3-1 Lakers)
| Date | Location | Final Score |
|---|---|---|
| April 14, 2024 | New Orleans | 124-108 Lakers |
| Feb. 9, 2024 | Los Angeles | 139-122 Lakers |
| Dec. 31, 2023 | New Orleans | 129-109 Pelicans |
| Dec. 7, 2023 | Los Angeles | 133-89 Lakers |
The Lakers and Pelicans played each other four times across the 2023-24 campaign, and not one of the final scores was even remotely close. The smallest margin of victory came on the final day of the season when Los Angeles emerged with a 16-point victory, with a healthy and full roster available for both sides with seeding still on the line.
Spread History
| Date | Spread (Lakers) | Spread Pelicans | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 14, 2024 | +1.5 | -1.5 | Lakers Cover (Underdogs) |
| Feb. 9, 2024 | +2.5 | -2.5 | Lakers Cover (Underdogs) |
| Dec. 31, 2023 | +5.5 | -5.5 | Pelicans Cover (Favorites) |
| Dec. 7, 2023 | -2 | +2 | Lakers Cover (Favorites) |
The Lakers entered as underdogs in 36 of their 82 games (15-21 ATS) this season, three of which came against the Pelicans with Los Angeles winning both SU and ATS on two occasions.
OVER/UNDER History
| Date | Score | O/U Total | Final Total | O/U Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 14, 2024 | 124-108 | 231.5 | 232 | OVER |
| Feb. 9, 2024 | 139-122 | 237 | 261 | OVER |
| Dec. 31, 2023 | 129-109 | 233.5 | 238 | OVER |
| Dec. 7, 2023 | 133-89 | 229.5 | 222 | UNDER |
Each of their last three encounters reached the OVER. Two instances came in convincing fashion with little doubt, while the season finale barely got over the hump, but an OVER is an OVER.
Key Matchup: Anthony Davis Vs. Zion Williamson
| Player | Games | PPG | FG% | REB | AST | STL | BLK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Davis | 4 | 21.5 | 60.4 | 10.5 | 4.3 | 1.3 | 2.0 |
| Zion Williamson | 4 | 20.3 | 57.7 | 5.8 | 5.5 | 0.8 | 0.3 |
Anthony Davis' status will need to be monitored heading into this crucial game, as he exited Sunday's win in the fourth quarter with an apparent back injury.
The All-Star big man did say afterwards that there's "no doubt" he's going to compete on Tuesday, according to The Athletic's Jovan Buha. It's Davis we're talking about, though, and with his storied injury history, there's always a chance it could get worse before it gets better, but we'll take his word for now.
Anthony Davis went back to the locker room after an apparent injury. pic.twitter.com/qKT6K4wl1Y
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 14, 2024
This marks Zion Williamson's first playoff (kind of?) soiree since the Pelicans drafted him first overall in 2019. New Orleans qualified in 2021-22, mind you, but the now 23-year-old sat the entire season with a foot injury.
Final Pick: Los Angeles Lakers, -110
The bright lights of the play-in tournament are nothing new to the Lakers, although surely they would have liked to have avoided this format altogether. They're a perfect 2-0 (2021, 2023) in the No. 7 vs. No. 8 game, having never needed a second crack at advancing.
They even got all of the way to the Western Conference finals last year after being a play-in qualifier, eventually falling to the reigning champion Denver Nuggets in a clean sweep.
It's a potential rematch with the Nuggets that filters in some anxiety, though. Securing the No. 7 seed would earn Los Angeles a first-class ticket to the Mile High City for a seven-game series that would kick off on Saturday, and the Lakers put up a goose egg by going 0-3 against Denver this season.
If Los Angeles were to lose against New Orleans and then qualify as the eighth seed, though, it would take on the unproven Oklahoma City Thunder in the opening round after winning the season series 3-1 with three-straight victories.
Would the Lakers dare risk falling out of the festivities altogether just to pair off with what's perhaps an easier opponent? It's hard to say. LeBron James at the age of 39 doesn't have many more years left in his body, so maximizing his potential of returning to the Finals feels like the logical play.
It would be uncharacteristic of Los Angeles considering its recent dominance over New Orleans, so the safer bet is the purple and gold moving on while the Pelicans face either the Golden State Warriors or Sacramento Kings in a do-or-die situation.
