Thunder vs Pelicans Prediction NBA Picks 1/26/24

New Orleans Pelicans (25-18) vs Oklahoma City Thunder (29-13)

Game Info: Friday, January 26, 2024 at 8:00 pm (Smoothie King Center)

Betting Odds: New Orleans Pelicans -2 -- Over/Under:

The Oklahoma City Thunder are riding a 4-game winning streak. The New Orleans Pelicans look for a win after splitting their last 6 games. Let’s preview this game and give out a Oklahoma City Thunder vs New Orleans Pelicans prediction.

Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Preview

The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Jazz, Timberwolves, Trail Blazers and Spurs during this streak. The Oklahoma City Thunder are averaging 121.9 points on 50.5 percent shooting and allowing 113.6 points on 44.8 percent shooting. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.1 points and 6.4 assists, while Jalen Williams is averaging 18.7 points and 4.1 rebounds. Chet Holmgren is the third double-digit scorer and Josh Giddey is grabbing 6.3 rebounds. The Oklahoma City Thunder are shooting 39.2 percent from beyond the arc and 83.5 percent from the free throw line. The Oklahoma City Thunder are allowing 35.9 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 41.1 rebounds per game.

Oklahoma City Thunder Player Facts

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ranks 1st amongst qualified players for steals per game (2.3) this season.
• Chet Holmgren ranks 4th amongst qualified players for Blocks Per Game (2.6) this season.

New Orleans Pelicans Betting Preview

The New Orleans Pelicans recently beat the Hornets and Jazz while losing to the Suns. The New Orleans Pelicans are averaging 117.5 points on 48.9 percent shooting and allowing 112.5 points on 46.1 percent shooting. Zion Williamson is averaging 21.9 points and 5.6 rebounds, while Brandon Ingram is averaging 21.4 points and 4.8 rebounds. CJ McCollum is the third double-digit scorer and Jonas Valanciunas is grabbing 9.6 rebounds. The New Orleans Pelicans are shooting 38.6 percent from beyond the arc and 76.5 percent from the free throw line. The New Orleans Pelicans are allowing 34.4 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 44.5 rebounds per game.

New Orleans Pelicans Player Facts

• C.J. McCollum ranks 3rd amongst qualified players for three-pointers made Per Game (3.6) this season.
• Zion Williamson ranks 5th in the Western Conference amongst qualified players for FG% (58.9%) this season.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Pelicans rank 30th in the league for opponent three-point field goals attempts per game this season (39.2).
• The Pelicans rank 1st in the league for Q2 opponent points per game this season (26.0).
• The Thunder rank 1st in the league for blocks per game this season (6.5).
• The Thunder rank 1st in the league for opponent turnovers per game this season (16.0).

Oklahoma City Thunder vs New Orleans Pelicans prediction

Nobody was as high on the New Orleans Pelicans before the season than me, and it's nice to see them get love from oddsmakers now that they're winning games and are healthy. The Pels are a legit dark horse in the west. With that said, we're getting the Oklahoma City Thunder in the underdog role, something you don't see often. OKC is 29-15 ATS on the season, the best cover team in the NBA. Regardless of opponent, venue or line, I'm going to continue backing the Thunder as long as the tickets keep cashing. Of course, getting free buckets makes things sweeter.

The pick in this article is the opinion of the writer, not a PickDawgz site consensus.