The West was definitely the deeper conference this year and this match-up is living proof. The<\/p>\n\n\n\n
49-33 New Orleans Pelicans, who sit in the 7th seed in the conference, would be tied with the<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3rd best in the East\u2019s Milwaukee Bucks. The winner between the Pelicans and the Los Angeles<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lakers will advance to round 1 collision with the defending NBA champion, and 2nd seeded,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Denver Nuggets. The loser will host the winner of the 9\/10 game between the Sacramento<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kings and the Golden State Warriors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
New Orleans Pelicans<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the third straight play-in appearance for the Pelicans who recorded their most<\/p>\n\n\n\n regular-season wins since changing their name from the Hornets. They finished this regular<\/p>\n\n\n\n season with a 4-1 tally through their last five.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strength<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n In the 16 contests prior to the Pelicans\u2019 season finale against the Lakers, former first-overall pick<\/p>\n\n\n\n Zion Williamson averaged 25.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists. Thanks to an injury<\/p>\n\n\n\n plagued first five years of his career, we finally see Williamson in the postseason. On the year,<\/p>\n\n\n\n he averaged a solid 23.0 points. He\u2019s backed up by CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram who<\/p>\n\n\n\n posted averages of 20.9 and 20.0 points respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Weakness<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Lakers have the Pelicans\u2019 number this season plain and simple. They lost three of four<\/p>\n\n\n\n meetings, including two high-stakes matchups. Those two games were an In-Season<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tournament semi-final meeting and the final game of the year which had implications on<\/p>\n\n\n\n seeding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Los Angeles Lakers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Lakers have lost just three of their last fourteen games, including a 7-1 road record<\/p>\n\n\n\n during that stretch. LA has been here before, back in 2021 and 2023, playing in the 7-v-8<\/p>\n\n\n\n Play-In matchup where they came out with a win each time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Strength<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s purely elementary at this point, LeBron James is LeBron James and LeBron James puts up<\/p>\n\n\n\n points. Age is a construct for this man. He averaged 28.8 points in the regular-season series<\/p>\n\n\n\n that was dominated by the purple and gold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Weakness<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n While the Lakers average the second-most points per game in the Western Conference, their<\/p>\n\n\n\n game on the defensive side of the ball has not been pretty. They average 117.4 points against<\/p>\n\n\n\n which ranks them as the third-worst defensive team out West.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Current Odds<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Spread Moneyline Total<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lakers +1 -110 -107 O 224.5 -115<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pelicans -1 -110 -113 U 224.5 -105<\/p>\n\n\n\n Season Series<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n December 7: Pelicans 89 @ Lakers <\/strong>133<\/p>\n\n\n\n