March 23, 2021, 7:30 PM EDT | Smoothie King Center
Game Preview
Los Angeles
Lakers
28 - 15
New Orleans
Pelicans
18 - 24
March 23, 2021, 7:30 PM EDT | Smoothie King Center
The Lakers (28-15 SU, 21-22 ATS) have been blown out in both games they’ve played this year without LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Los Angeles will once again be without its superstar duo when it visits the Pelicans (18-24, 19-23), who are coming off an upset win Sunday in Denver.
After the Lakers didn’t come close to sniffing a point spread cover as double-digit underdogs Sunday in Phoenix, oddsmakers had no choice but to make the Pelicans a pretty big favorite in this one. New Orleans has not been a reliable bet this season as chalk in this price range, going 4-5 SU and 3-6 ATS when favored by 6 points or more.
Los Angeles News & Notes
The Lakers obviously aren’t the same at either end of the floor without LeBron or A.D., but their offense seems to be suffering the most since James’ injury on Saturday night. LA has averaged just 22.5 points in its six full quarters since The King went down and has scored only 94 points in each of its last two outings, going UNDER the total by a combined 38.5 points.
Going UNDER the total once again tonight wouldn’t be out of character at all for the Lakers, who have played low-scoring games on the road all season. After Sunday’s 111-94 loss at Phoenix, LA has now stayed UNDER the total in 16 of its 20 games away from home, with those games seeing an average of 212.8 points scored.
Despite recently coming off the COVID-19 health and safety protocols list, center Marc Gasol sat out Sunday’s contest due to conditioning issues and will likely remain out again tonight. The Lakers’ lack of depth up front could prove especially costly in this one as LA is playing for the fourth time in six days and the sixth time in nine.
New Orleans News & Notes
The Pelicans are playing their best basketball of the season as the trade deadline approaches, making for some tricky decisions for general manager Trajan Langdon. New Orleans’ 113-108 win Sunday at Denver improved the Pelicans to 4-1 ATS in their last five games, and they’d have been 4-1 SU during that stretch as well if they hadn’t blown a 17-point fourth-quarter lead last week in Portland.
Without guard Lonzo Ball in the lineup, New Orleans’ frontcourt duo of Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram led the way with 30 points apiece Sunday in Denver, the third time this season each forward has scored at least 30 in the same game. Williamson has now scored 20-plus points in 20 straight games, and New Orleans has gone OVER the total in 15 of those contests.
Ball, one of several Pelicans rumored to be on the trade block this week, might miss tonight’s contest as well due to a right hip flexor strain. Nickeil Alexander-Walker made his fourth start of the season Sunday in place of Ball and had 20 points on 15 field-goal attempts.
Betting Pick: UNDER 221.5
New Orleans’ defense has been a lot better lately, holding four of its last seven opponents under 108 points, and should be able to contain the short-handed Lakers.
