It’s finally time for the beginning of the NBA postseason as the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans tip off the play-in games.
This will be the early game of both Western Conference matchups on Tuesday, with the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings in the later slot.
The Lakers and Pelicans finished off the regular season on Sunday, with the Lakers winning-handedly, 124-108.
Now the two teams meet in the NBA’s play-in tournament, with the winner securing the No. 7 seed and a playoff series with the second-seeded Denver Nuggets.
The Pelicans started the season hot, hovering near the top of the Western Conference.
However, a midseason injury to Zion Williamson slightly derailed the Pelicans’ hopes of securing a playoff spot without having to go through the play-in route.
Meanwhile, the Lakers have stuck around in the playoff picture but haven’t been spectacular. There are still roster questions around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The Lakers have a combination of older free agents and some young talent that has yet to be cultivated. This has led to a roster gap of solid, young veterans who can give you 20 points a night.
The Lakers will be without Jarred Vanderbilt, who has been streaky but can get hot with perimeter shooting.
The Pelicans will have the entire lineup available on Tuesday, which could provide some matchup issues for the Lakers.
Lakers vs. Pelicans odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakers | +1.5 (-110) | +100 | o224.5 (-110) |
| Pelicans | -1.5 (-110) | -120 | u224.5 (-110) |
Whenever I see a tight spread under one possession, I’m inclined to lean toward a moneyline bet over the spread if you want to take an underdog.
From a profit perspective, you would make $100 for every $100 bet with the Lakers moneyline vs. $83.33 with the spread.
The opposite is true if you are looking to make a wager on the favorite (the Pelicans in this case). At -1.5, only a bucket is needed to cover so -110 (spread) pays better than -120 (ML).
Personally, in a win-and-in scenario, I find it hard to bet against LeBron James. Even in his older age, he can still take over games when needed.
Pick: Lakers ML (+100, FanDuel)
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If you’re feeling something with more payout, FanDuel also has some curated same-game parlays. The following parlay would pay +2219:
- Zion Williamson to score 25+ points
- LeBron James to score 25+ points
- LeBron James to record 10+ assists
- D’Angelo Russell 4+ made threes
- C.J. McCollum 5+ made threes