The No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder and the No. 8 seed New Orleans Pelicans square off in Game 2 of their first-round series in the 2024 NBA playoffs on Thursday. The Thunder squeaked by with a win in Game 1, knocking off the Pelicans 94-92. Oklahoma City looks to defend its home court again before the series shifts to New Orleans for the next two games beginning on Saturday. Zion Williamson (hamstring) is out.
Tipoff is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. The Thunder are 7.5-point favorites in the latest Pelicans vs. Thunder odds from SportsLine consensus. The over/under for total points is 210.5. Before making any Thunder vs. Pelicans picks, you'll want to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters the second week of the 2024 NBA playoffs on a sizzling 90-58 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning more than $2,800. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Pelicans vs. Thunder and just locked in its picks and NBA playoff predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Thunder vs. Pelicans:
- Pelicans vs. Thunder spread: Oklahoma City -7.5
- Pelicans vs. Thunder over/under: 211.5 points
- Pelicans vs. Thunder money line: Oklahoma City -331, New Orleans +261
- NO: The Pelicans are 46-38-1 against the spread this season.
- OKC: The Thunder are 46-36-1 against the spread this season.
- Pelicans vs. Thunder picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Thunder can cover
Guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a scoring threat in the backcourt. The 25-year-old stands at 6-foot-6, but has a 7-foot wingspan that allows him to shoot right over defenders. He was third in the NBA in scoring (30.1) with 6.2 assists during the 2023-24 regular season. In Game 1, Gilgeous-Alexander totaled a team-best 28 points with six boards and four assists.
Power forward Chet Holmgren (7-foot-1) is a freak athlete for his size. Holmgren has great quickness with the length to be a disruptive presence in the lane. The Gonzaga product is able to handle the rock, while spacing the floor due to his nice jump shot. He averaged 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game in the regular season. In the Game 1 win, Holmgren recorded a double-double of 15 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks. See which team to pick here.
Why the Pelicans can cover
Guard Trey Murphy III stepped up in the absence of Williamson. Murphy III has the range to be an asset out on the perimeter with the athleticism to finish in the lane. The former Virginia standout averaged 14.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and shot 38% from downtown this season. In Sunday's loss to the Thunder, Murphy III racked up a team-best 21 points, four rebounds and made five 3-pointers.
Center Jonas Valanciunas is a bruising force in the frontcourt. Valanciunas owns a very nice touch around the basket but consistently puts himself in the position to snag plenty of rebounds. In the regular season, Valanciunas logged 12.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, and shot 55% from the floor. On Sunday, the 31-year-old had 13 points and a game-high 20 rebounds. See which team to pick here.
How to make Pelicans vs. Thunder picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the point total, projecting the teams to combine for 214 points. The model also says one side of the spread is the better value. You can only get the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Pelicans vs. Thunder, and which side hits in over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned more than $2,800 on its NBA picks this season, and find out.
