The Los Angeles Lakers aim to sweep the season series against the New Orleans Pelicans for the first time since 2019-20 when the teams face off at Crypto.com Arena on Friday night.
With New Orleans missing key players like Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, and Dejounte Murray, the Lakers enter as heavy favorites despite potential rest considerations for LeBron James following Thursday's matchup with Golden State.
The contrast couldn't be more stark as the playoff-bound Lakers (46-29) look to solidify their Western Conference position while the lottery-bound Pelicans (21-55) simply try to survive another night with a makeshift lineup when the Los Angeles Lakers host the New Orleans Pelicans.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. New Orleans Pelicans prediction: who will win?
For tonight's Los Angeles Lakers vs New Orleans Pelicans matchup, our predictive model gives the Lakers a 65% chance of defeating the Pelicans.
Pre-game probabilities
Los Angeles Lakers
Moneyline
Win %
65%
35%
New Orleans Pelicans
Los Angeles Lakers: 65% win probability
- Superior position in standings (4th in Western Conference vs Pelicans' 14th position)
- Better overall record (46-30 compared to Pelicans' 21-55)
- Stronger recent form (LWWLW vs Pelicans' LWLWL)
New Orleans Pelicans: 35% win probability
- Poor defensive record (9021 goals against, one of the worst in the Western Conference)
- Significant negative point differential (8362 goals for vs 9021 goals against)
- Road disadvantage against a Lakers team with home court advantage and 16 more wins
At Sporting Post, our unique prediction model brings together insights from top NBA experts.
Instead of searching through countless expert analyses online, you can rely on our predictions to capture the market's overall sentiment. We scan trusted sources, analyzing expert picks, data, and trends, while our AI assigns a confidence level to each prediction. These confidence levels are then averaged to generate an 'expert opinion' win probability—providing a data-driven reflection of the collective intelligence of the industry's leading NBA analysts.
| Los Angeles Lakers | New Orleans Pelicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline |
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Los Angeles Lakers vs. New Orleans Pelicans preview
The struggling Pelicans limp into Crypto.com Arena on Friday night, desperately counting down the days until this nightmare season ends while the Lakers look to complete a season sweep for the first time since 2019-20.
New Orleans, devastated by injuries to Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray and others, has dropped seven of their last ten games and couldn't even crack 100 points in their recent 114-98 loss to the Clippers - their third straight game failing to hit the century mark.
Jose Alvarado's 17-point, 10-assist performance against the Clippers was a rare bright spot for a Pelicans squad that's been absolutely dreadful from beyond the arc, shooting a miserable 4-for-22 in their last outing and ranking 28th league-wide in threes made per game.
The Lakers, meanwhile, are fighting to maintain their position as the Western Conference's third seed with LeBron James battling through a groin issue and the team potentially looking to manage minutes with a brutal back-to-back against Oklahoma City looming.
Luka Doncic has stepped up magnificently for LA, dropping 20 points with 9 assists against Houston while the Lakers' suffocating defense held the Rockets to just 10 made three-pointers.
I'm not expecting a track meet here - the depleted Pelicans have been playing at a snail's pace lately with just 97.3 possessions per 48 minutes over their past 10 games.
The Lakers have dominated this matchup recently with New Orleans going 1-8 straight up and 2-7 against the spread in their last nine meetings against the purple and gold.
With the Pelicans missing literally their entire starting lineup and the Lakers potentially resting key players ahead of tougher challenges, this one might lack star power but still offers an opportunity to see if LA can maintain focus against a badly overmatched opponent.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. New Orleans Pelicans form
Los Angeles Lakers vs. New Orleans Pelicans head to head
Los Angeles Lakers
67%
New Orleans Pelicans
33%
Mar 5, 2025
Los Angeles Lakers
136 : 115
New Orleans Pelicans
Nov 17, 2024
New Orleans Pelicans
99 : 104
Los Angeles Lakers
Apr 16, 2024
New Orleans Pelicans
106 : 110
Los Angeles Lakers
Apr 14, 2024
New Orleans Pelicans
108 : 124
Los Angeles Lakers
Feb 10, 2024
Los Angeles Lakers
139 : 122
New Orleans Pelicans
Jan 1, 2024
New Orleans Pelicans
129 : 109
Los Angeles Lakers
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