Lakers vs. Pelicans Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for February 15 (Can the Lakers Get Back on Track at Home?)

Lakers vs. Pelicans Game Info

• Date: Wednesday, February 15, 2023
• Time: 10:00 PM ET
• Venue: Crypto.com Arena -- Los Angeles, California
• Coverage: ESPN, SportsNet LA, and BSNO

The 2022-23 NBA season continues on Wednesday with 10 more games, including a battle between the New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers. The Pelicans rank seventh in the Western Conference with a 30-28 record, while the Lakers check in 13th with a disappointing 26-32 record.

New Orleans enters as a victor in four of its last five games following a 103-100 victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday. Meanwhile, Los Angeles has now dropped four of its last five games thanks to a 127-115 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday. Which team will win tonight?

Lakers vs. Pelicans Odds & Spread

• All NBA betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: LAL: (-176) | NO: (+148)
• Spread: LAL: -4 (-110) | NO: +4 (-110)
• Total: 234.5 -- Over: (-112) | Under: (-108)

The Lakers enter this contest as notable home favorites on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 10 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 234.5 points, which is above average compared to Wednesday's projected totals.

Lakers vs Pelicans Betting Information

Favorite	Spread	Favorite Spread Odds	Underdog Spread Odds	Total	Over Total Odds	Under Total Odds	Favorite Moneyline	Underdog Moneyline
Lakers	-2.5	-	-	233.5	-110	-110	-152	128

Lakers vs. Pelicans Betting Trends

• The Lakers went 36-46-0 ATS last season.
• The Pelicans went 24-27 as underdogs of 2.5 points or greater last season.
• Last season, 47 Lakers games hit the over.
• Out of 82 Pelicans games last season, 33 went over the total.

Lakers vs. Pelicans Prediction & Pick

The Lakers need every win they can get as they attempt to get back in the playoff race down the stretch. The bad news is that the Pelicans thrive where the Lakers struggle. New Orleans checks in fifth in the NBA in points in the paint per game (55.2) and ninth in fast break points per game (14.8).

LA ranks 24th in opponent points in the paint per game (52.3) and 27th in opponent fast break points per game (15.2). Expect a Pelicans defense that averages an impressive 8.6 steals per game (No. 2 in NBA) to frustrate the Lakers' offense, which will lead to a ton of uncontested layups on the other end.

New Orleans has won four of its last five games against LA, so back the Pelicans in an upset here.

Final Score Prediction: Lakers: 118 | Pelicans: 121

Lakers vs. Pelicans Best Bet

These teams have met twice this season as the Lakers won by a score of 120-117 (OT) in November and the Pelicans won by a score of 131-126 earlier this month. Seeing this total sit at 234.5 seems surprising given those results and the fact that the Lakers play at the third-fastest pace in the NBA.

The Pelicans are going to be forced to speed up their offense in order to keep up on the scoreboard. The total has hit the over in each of New Orleans' last five games against a Pacific Division opponent, while three of the last five games for the Lakers have included 242 or more points. Trust the trends.

Bet: Over 234.5 Points (-112)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.