The Los Angeles Lakers (43-12) look to continue their five-game winning streak against the New Orleans Pelicans (25-32) at Staples Center. The game is scheduled to start at 10 p.m. ET on Tuesday, February 25, 2020.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 238.5 points with Los Angeles set as an 8-point favorite at Draftkings Indiana Sportsbook.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Los Angeles Lakers ATS Prediction
In the Pelicans’ last outing, they covered the 10.5-point spread against the Golden State Warriors, 115-101. The game’s total points (216) finished well under the O/U total of 238. The Pelicans, who came into the game averaging an offensive rebounding percentage of 23.9, had a solid mark of 27.5 and had an effective field goal percentage of 0.556 (above their season average of 0.539). New Orleans was lifted by Jrue Holiday, who contributed 23 points, 15 assists and seven rebounds.
The Lakers barely escaped the Boston Celtics in their last game, 114-112, but were not able to cover as 7.5-point favorites. The game’s total points (226) finished over the O/U total of 222.5. The Lakers forced 17 turnovers and held the Celtics to an offensive rebounding percentage of 18.6 (below their season average of 23.8). Anthony Davis led Los Angeles in scoring with 32 points on 10-for-25 shooting from the field.
The Lakers have emerged victorious in both matchups against the Pelicans this year, including a 123-113 victory in their last matchup. Los Angeles covered as a 10-point favorite and the game finished with a total of 236 points, which was 11 points above the projected point total of 225 points. The Lakers knocked down 23 of their 28 free throws (82.1 percent) and had a better effective field goal percentage (0.581 vs. 0.525). Davis put up a double-double in the victory with 46 points and 13 rebounds.
New Orleans comes into the contest with records of 25-32 straight up (SU) and 28-25-4 against the spread (ATS). Matchups involving the Pelicans have a tendency to finish over the O/U total (57.9 percent).
Meanwhile, Los Angeles owns records of 43-12 SU and 29-25-1 ATS. Vegas has typically been fairly accurate when predicting totals of Lakers games, with 28 overs compared to 27 unders.
Los Angeles appears to have the edge on the offensive side of the ball. The Lakers currently rank fourth in offensive efficiency, while New Orleans ranks 20th in defensive efficiency.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Los Angeles Lakers Free Pick
Pick: ATS Winner – Pelicans, O/U – Over
Betting Trends
On the road, New Orleans is 14-11-4 ATS with 17 overs and 12 unders.
At home, Los Angeles is 14-12-1 ATS with 15 unders and 12 overs.
When holding opponents below 100 points, Los Angeles is 15-0 and New Orleans is 3-0.
The Lakers are 39-11 when they score over 100 points, while the Pelicans are 25-29.
Los Angeles ranks second in points in the paint per game (53.6) while New Orleans ranks 28th in points allowed in the paint per game (52.8).
The Lakers average 8.5 steals per game, which ranks third in the league. The Pelicans rank 28th in steals allowed per game (8.4).
Los Angeles ranks fourth in points off turnovers per game (18.7) while New Orleans ranks 28th in points off turnovers allowed per game (19.1).
The Pelicans rank fifth in fast break points per game (16.7) while the Lakers rank 29th in fast break points allowed per game (16.3).
Los Angeles ranks second in second chance points per game (14.9) while New Orleans ranks 24th in second chance points allowed per game (13.9).
The Pelicans rank fifth in three pointers attempted per game (38.1) while the Lakers rank 23rd (31.0).
Los Angeles ranks first in rebounds allowed per game (41.8) while New Orleans ranks 16th (45.4).
The Lakers rank first in blocks per game (6.9) while the Pelicans rank 10th (5.2).
Los Angeles ranks sixth in assists per game (26.2) while New Orleans ranks 15th in assists allowed per game (24.4).
Over its last five contests, New Orleans is 4-1 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under.
Los Angeles is 3-2 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders over its last five games.
The Pelicans have outscored opponents by an average of 10.0 points in their last five games. On the season, New Orleans has lost by an average of 1.0 point.
During their last five games, the Lakers have scored an average of 120.2 points per game (5.4 above their season average) and allowed an average of 110.6 points per game (3.2 above their season average).
