The New Orleans Pelicans (12-10) take on the Los Angeles Lakers (13-9) in the In-Season Tournament semi-finals Thursday with tip-off from Crypto.com Arena set for 9 p.m. ET (TNT). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s'lines around the Pelicans vs. Lakers odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions.
Season series: First meeting; Lakers won 3-1 last year
The Pelicans upset the Sacramento Kings in the quarterfinals 127-117 Monday to advance this far into the dance. They were 3.5-point underdogs in the game. SF Brandon Ingram put the team on his back with 30 points, 8 boards and 6 assists. C Jonas Valanciunas had 18 points and 11 boards, and he has double-doubles in 3 straight games.
The Lakers narrowly covered as 1.5-point favorites with a 106-103 win over the Phoenix Suns Tuesday. F LeBron James had 31 points, 11 dimes and 8 boards. F Anthony Davis showed up and showed out with 27 points, 15 boards and 2 blocks.