Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA – Photo by Icon Sport
Thunder vs Pelicans: Can OKC keep the winning streak alive?
The Oklahoma City Thunder will try to continue their winning streak when they visit the New Orleans Pelicans in Smoothie King Center on Friday night.
The Thunder are targeting the top seed in the Western Conference
The Oklahoma City Thunder are second in the Western Conference with a 31-13 record. They have won the last four games and are coming off a 140-114 win over the Houston Rockets. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had back-to-back 30+ point double doubles in the last two games. He is the fourth-best scorer in the league, averaging 31.1 points per game. The Thunder are ranked second in the league in field goal and three-point percentage and are third with 121.9 points per game.
The Pelicans are solid at home
The New Orleans Pelicans are fifth in the Western Conference with a 26-18 record. They have won three of the last five games and are coming off a 153-124 win over the Utah Jazz. The Pelicans are third in the league, shooting 38.6% from three-point territory, and are ranked 11th with 117.5 points per game. Zion Williamson is the leading scorer on the Pels with 21.9 points per game.
Betting Trends
The Pelicans have played over the total point margin in 5 of the last 7 games overall, in 4 of the last 5 against teams from the Northwest Division, and in 4 of the last 6 against Western Conference opponents. The Thunder have gone over in 7 of their last 9 road games.
Prediction and Conclusion
Both teams are having an excellent season, and the Thunder may take over the lead in the Western Conference if they win tonight. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is having an MVP-caliber season, and he is going after his fifth consecutive 30+ point game. The Pelicans are packed with elite scorers like Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and CJ McCollum, who can drop 30 on any given night. Both teams are among the top 10 in scoring per game and the top 3 in three-point percentage. This will be run-and gun basketball all night long, and the game will go over 240.5 points.
10 no sweat bets up to $1000 total
