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The Pelicans will be without their best player Anthony Davis for this game, and in-form championship contenders Oklahoma City will be confident of taking advantage to win the match. However, they will need spirited performances from Westbrook and Durant if they are to cover the spread.
The Pelicans (9 wins – 9 losses, 5-4 home) have put together a solid squad this year, highlighted by former no.1 pick Anthony Davis, all-star point guard Jrue Holiday and Eric Gordon. Even so, they had trouble dominating in the super strong Western Conference and found themselves orbiting around .500 while trying to build some chemistry in the roster. Losing Anthony Davis due to a broken hand three games ago seems to have put an end to their playoff hopes. The Pelicans managed to hold it together in the first two games without Davis, beating Chicago and losing a close clash with Dallas, but in the long-run they do not have the players that could replace the all-star power forward. They were already a little short in the frontcourt and now they will have big problems in the paint – despite managing to outrebound Dallas 58-38 in the last match (how they lost that with 20+ rebounds advantage is beyond me – it shows some problems in NO`s game).
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Oklahoma City got Westbrook back after he missed the playoffs last season and the Thunder again look like championship contenders. They have a 13-4 record, 4-4 on the road and are in top form, winning 8 consecutive games before losing on the road against the unleashed Trailblazers 2 days ago. OKC currently has the best offensive 1-2 punch in the NBA, with Westbrook and Durant posting an average of 49.1 points per game – Durant being the top scorer in the league. However, OKC has failed to put up too many big wins so far, mostly edging close games for a win margin of 4.1 points. All in all, you can expect a team like the Thunder to come out strong after a loss and put in a top-class performance.
The H2H is vastly in OKC`s favor. The Thunder have defeated the Pelicans for 8 consecutive times and look to be on track to add another “W” after this clash.
New Orleans is a good young team, but without Davis their strength vastly decreases and they are nowhere near playoff material, especially with the West being so strong. Their backcourt can’t compete with Oklahoma`s Westbrook – Sefolosha – Durant trio, and without Davis in the paint (and short in depth) they will not be able to dominate under the glass with enough authority in order to gain an advantage. Thunder is the better team, they are in better form, own the H2H and clearly have an importand matchup advantage with Davis’ absence. I can’t see OKC losing this one and even though I don`t expect a blowout, I am pretty confident in my preview and that they can cover a 5 point spread – despite not winning by big margins too often so far. The line is not so large, and Thunder should have enough to provide themselves with a couple of stress-free minutes at the end against this kind of opponent. The spread is migrating strongly towards -5.5 at the moment, so I would take this early. You can still get a lower 4,5 spread at some bookies, but only with odds around 1.80. My tip for this one would be something like Oklahoma City Thunder at New Orleans Pelicans 97-105.
Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder (-5)
Odds: 1.93 @ Sbobet
Stake: 9
Possible profit: 7.44
Event date: 7 December
Editor Facts
- Rostick won 7 out of his last 9 tips
