Thunder vs. Pelicans: NBA Play-In Game Best Bets (Wednesday)

We had a thriller to finish up yesterday’s Play-In games. Tonight’s games should be no different.

Last night, the Hawks and Lakers clinched the seven seeds in their respective conferences. The Heat lost to the Hawks but will play the winner of tonight’s matchup between the Bulls and Raptors.

On the other hand, the Timberwolves took a loss to the Lakers last night. But they’ll compete for the eight-seed against whoever wins tonight’s Western Conference matchup between the Thunder and Pelicans.

Those games will be played on Friday. But we’ll find out who’s playing in that game tonight.

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Today’s Best NBA Bets

Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook. All wagers are 1 unit.

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. New Orleans Pelicans

The Oklahoma City Thunder weren’t supposed to be in this position. With rookie Chet Holmgren out for the season, the Thunder was supposed to tank and add another top-tier player.

But instead, the Thunder have surprised everyone and have put themselves in a position to make the playoffs potentially. Oklahoma City won’t get the best of looks. But they’ve limited turnovers and have stayed active on the glass. That’s also helped the Thunder get to the foul line at an average rate.

The defense will be tested against New Orleans. Teams have shot a 55.1% effective field goal percentage and ultimately have had success on the glass against the Thunder.

Meanwhile. the Pelicans have been much more consistent on the offensive end. It would be nice if they had Zion Williamson, but that dream is gone, at least for this year. Still, the Pelicans are active on the offensive glass and get to the foul line at an above-average rate.

The defense is also well-rounded. They’ve kept teams to 25.4% of offensive rebounds and have earned 14.8% of turnovers. The Pelicans have way more pieces on both ends of the ball. Take the Pelicans to cover at home.

Bet: Pelicans -5.5 (-110)

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