Pelicans vs. Lakers Betting (Nov. 2): Can the Lakers handle Zion and Company?

The 2022-23 NBA season rolls on with a new slate of games for Wednesday, Nov. 2. The Western Conference will be in action when the New Orleans Pelicans travel to crypto.com Arena to take on the Los Angeles Lakers at 10:30 p.m. ET.

Gameday in the city of angels ⭐️

🏀: vs Lakers
🕤: 9:30pm CT
📺: Bally Sports NO
📻: @995WRNO #Pelicans | @SmoothieKing pic.twitter.com/JmWxMtF1YY

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) November 2, 2022

The Pelicans enter this game fresh off a 112-91 victory over the LA Clippers on Sunday. Zion Williamson led the way to victory with a 21-point, 12-rebound double-double, improving New Orleans’ record to 3-1 on the road.

Meanwhile, the Lakers finally have momentum on their side after beating the Denver Nuggets, 121-110, for their first win of the campaign. Russell Westbrook finally bought into coming off the bench — recording 18 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in 32 minutes — leaving time to tell if that’s a sustainable strategy going forward.

There’s a lot to take in before Wednesday’s Pelicans vs Lakers game. Fortunately, Betting News has gathered the game’s odds while also having a prediction and best bet for tonight’s contest.

New Orleans Pelicans vs Los Angeles Lakers Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: New Orleans Pelicans (4-2, 3-1 Away) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (1-5, 1-2 Home)
• Venue & Location: crypto.com Arena (Los Angeles, CA)
• Date: Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022
• Game Time: 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time
• Pelicans vs Lakers Info: NBA League Pass, Spectrum SportsNet, Bally Sports New Orleans

Pelicans vs Lakers Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline as of Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 9:09 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• New Orleans Pelicans -3 (-110)
• Los Angeles Lakers +3 (-110)

Over/Under

• Over 227.5 Points (-110)
• Under 227.5 Points (-110)

Moneyline

• New Orleans Pelicans -154
• Los Angeles Lakers +130

New Orleans Pelicans vs Los Angeles Lakers Betting Trends

• New Orleans is 4-1 straight up in its last five games against the Lakers.
• The Lakers are 2-6 straight up in their last eight home games.
• New Orleans is 4-2 against the spread (ATS) in its last six games.
• The Lakers are 1-4 ATS in their last five games against New Orleans.
• The total has hit the under in five of New Orleans’ last six games against the Lakers.
• The total has hit the under in six of the Lakers’ last eight games played on Wednesday.

New Orleans Pelicans vs Los Angeles Lakers Prediction and Picks

Pelicans vs Lakers Prediction: Pelicans 115, Lakers 110

Pelicans vs Lakers Picks: Pelicans -3 (Best Value: -110 at BetOnline) & Under 227.5 Points (Best Value: -110 at BetOnline)

The Pelicans have looked like a completely different team this season. With a healthy Williamson back in the fold, they’re finally becoming one of the top players in the Western Conference.

One of the reasons why the Pelicans have succeeded is because of their offensive depth. Six different New Orleans players are averaging double-digit point totals at the moment, including Williamson (21.8 PPG), CJ McCollum (20.5 PPG) and Brandon Ingram (22.0 PPG), who each average more than 20 points.

Ce DUNK de @Zionwilliamson

🥶 #NBASundays pic.twitter.com/qim6oein4K

— NBA France (@NBAFRANCE) October 30, 2022

All that offense has the Pelicans putting up an NBA-best 118.5 PPG. Such an unrelenting attack could be too difficult for the Lakers to handle. After all, Los Angeles is only tallying 105.3 PPG, ranking second worst in the Association.

Outside of LeBron James and Anthony Davis averaging 25.8 and 23.8 points, respectively, offense has been hard to come by for the Lakers. Things could change if Westbrook continues to excel off the bench, but so far it’s too small of a sample size to make any guarantees.

Nevertheless, I do expect a physical game around the glass tonight. Both teams sit in the top 11 as far as rebounding numbers go this season. With the likes of Williamson, Davis and Jonas Valanciunas in attendance tonight, things could get quite physical. The Pelicans might have the advantage here, too, due to their depth.

It’s also worth pointing out that the Lakers have lost three straight games against the Pelicans. Los Angeles hasn’t even beaten New Orleans at crypto.com Arena since January 2021, dropping back-to-back games in its own arena since then.

Additionally, the Pelicans tend to cover the spread when the Lakers are involved. New Orleans is 4-1 against the spread in its last five games against Los Angeles, securing four victories over that stretch. Furthermore, the average win margin of those victories is a whopping 14 points.

With the Pelicans finally taking the right step to becoming contenders, I do like their odds of winning on the road here. The Lakers still have a lot to prove early this season and need more than one victory before bettors can trust them once again.

Having said that, I’ll take the Pelicans covering the 3-point spread tonight. Against they’ve defeated the Lakers in decisive manner in recent history.

On top of that, I’m also taking the total hitting under 227.5 points due to a combination of Los Angeles’ lethargic offense and New Orleans’ solid defense. Besides, the total has hit the under in eight of the last Pelicans vs Lakers matchups played in Los Angeles.