The Los Angeles Lakers are currently on a five-game slide and are looking to return to the win column when they take on the New Orleans Pelicans, who have beaten Los Angeles twice already, for the third time this season on Wednesday. The Lakers, however, may be facing a vastly different Pelicans team, as Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday are currently questionable to play in that game.
Also playing this coming Wednesday are the Western Conference’s top dogs in the Houston Rockets and the Golden State Warriors. Read a full preview of that game here.
[sc:NBAArticles ]Los Angeles Lakers vs. New Orleans Pelicans Betting Preview
Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans
When: Wednesday, January 21, 2015, 8:00PM ET
Line: Los Angeles Lakers vs. New Orleans Pelicans — view all NBA lines
Betting on the Los Angeles Lakers
The free fall continues for the Lakers, who failed to stop their losing skid after taking a 115-100 defeat at the hands of the Phoenix Suns on Monday. The Lakers are now 0-5 SU and ATS in their last five games.
[sc:NBA240banner ]The Lakers’ offense has dipped over that five-game stretch as they averaged only 91.2 PPG. Part of the team’s scoring malaise can be charged to the absence of leading scorer Kobe Bryant (22.6 PPG) in three of those games, including the loss to Phoenix.
The 36-year-old Bryant doesn’t have any injuries but is only observing a rest schedule. He is expected to be back against New Orleans on Wednesday. In two meetings with the Pelicans this season, the Lakers superstar scored 33 and 14, respectively.
Aside from Bryant, the Lakers will be looking for Nick Young to provide some scoring punch. After failing to score in double-digits for three-straight games, the Lakers’ top bench player has seemingly found his touch as Young averaged 20.3 PPG in his next three games after the slump. Young scored a game-high 24 points against the Suns.
If the Lakers can prevent New Orleans from dominating the boards, then they can make this game more competitive than their 104-87 loss to the Pelicans on December 7. In that game, they were heavily outrebounded 50-34 by Anthony Davis and company. In their first meeting this season, the Lakers lost by just seven points (109-102) with New Orleans grabbing just six more rebounds, 44-38.
The Lakers are 3-1 ATS in their last four road games against New Orleans.
Will the Lakers finally score a win against New Orleans this season? Create a betting account now and put your own prediction to the test.
Betting on the New Orleans Pelicans
It’s going to be hard for the Pelicans to score a lot of points, let alone win games without two of their starters in Anthony Davis (toe) and Jrue Holiday (ankle). Both players missed Monday’s game, a 99-92 loss to the struggling New York Knicks.
With Davis (24.2 PPG, 10.4 RPG) not playing over the Pelicans’ last three games and Holiday (15.2 PPG, 7.1 APG) in the last four, scoring has become quite a challenge for the team. The Pelicans have averaged 100.7 PPG thus far this season, but have only put up 93.6 PPG over their last four outings.
Davis and Holiday are listed as day-to-day, meaning there’s a chance that they could play against the Lakers on Wednesday. The duo combined for 45 points in New Orleans’ 104-87 win over the Lakers in their last meeting on December 7, 2014.
If both players will once again be sidelined, then New Orleans will have to press the likes of Tyreke Evans, Ryan Anderson, and Eric Gordon for increased scoring production.
Evans has scored 26 and 23 points in the Pellies’ last two games. Anderson, meanwhile, hasn’t taken full advantage of his increased minutes as Davis’ replacement in the starting unit. He has averaged just 9.3 PPG and 4.3 RPG in the last three games.
After being sidelined for 21 games to nurse a torn labrum in his left shoulder, Gordon has made an impact on offense for the Pellies. He has scored 14.4 PPG over the last eight games, including 20 against the loss to the Knicks.
New Orleans is 3-0 SU in its last three games against the Lakers since last year.
Writer’s Prediction
New Orleans wins, 105-96.
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