Milwaukee’s regular-season series with Phoenix ends on Tuesday night. Their first meeting happened in February when the Bucks won 104 to 101. This is the Sun’s final chance to hit back and improve its record heading into the postseason. They host the upcoming game and will try to bounce back from an 11-point defeat to the Dubs. Meanwhile, the visitors look solid with four wins in five games and just beat the Western Conference third seed, Sacramento Kings, 133-124.

Nitrobetting shares the latest news, NBA odds, and special features throughout the 2022-23 NBA season. Check out how the second Pacific Division team fares with the top Central Division team in this preview.

Lakers vs. Pelicans Game Information

Brandon Ingram is questionable for Tuesday's game vs. the Lakers#Pelicans | @MorrisBartLLC https://t.co/dNi9okXNgD

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) March 13, 2023

• When: Tuesday, March 14, 2023, 8:00 PM ET
• Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
• TV: BSNO, SPECSN
• Radio: 710 ESPNLA (Lakers) // WRNO 99.5 FM (Pelicans)
• Live Stream: NBA League Pass
• NBA Betting Odds: TBA

READ MORE: Suns vs. Warriors 2023 NBA Odds and Preview – March 13th

Why Bet on the Los Angeles Lakers?

The Lakers’ leading scorer, LeBron James, is expected to be out until at least March 24. Recent lineup addition Mo Bamba will sit on the sidelines with him and is likely to miss games until the second week of April. More than that, Anthony Davis’ attendance is also questionable with an unstable foot injury, keeping him in and out of the lineup for the past few weeks.

Los Angeles is the eighth-best scoring team in the league. The team averages 116.6 points per game on an eleventh-best 47.9% shooting. They are deadly from close and mid-range, averaging 55.4% in two-point shots. However, the Lakers need to improve from downtown and improve on a 26th-rated three-point shooting at 34.0%. Since top scorer James is out, next-best scorers Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell have to increase their production.

Going over the visitors’ defensive figures, they hold teams to 117.2 points per game on a tenth-best 46.8% opponent shooting. They are notorious defenders and are likely to challenge the Pelicans’ offense. In 68 games, the Lakers limit opponent two-point shooting to 54.8% and three-point shooting to 34.3%.

Why Bet on the New Orleans Pelicans?

The Pelicans need to pick things up if they want another shot at a postseason campaign. So far, the team sustained strings of losses and even endured a ten-game losing streak at one point. Nevertheless, the playoff hopes remain in sight but a path through the Play-In is more realistic for Willie Green and his crew.

But, injuries could be a problem for the hosts on Tuesday night. The Pelicans have three key players on the injury list. Zion Williamson is out with a hamstring injury and is expected to be out until at least March 23, alongside Jose Alvarado who recently picked up a leg injury. Starting forward Brandon Ingram also waits for clearance to play this game since enduring an ankle injury. C.J. McCollum needs to pump up his numbers if the Pelicans are shorthanded. The guard currently puts up 21.25 points per game and leads the team in assists with 5.92 per game. Jonas Valanciunas and Trey Murphy III are the two other double-digit scorers the team relies on for its offensive creation.

The Pelicans average 114.0 points per game on 47.8% shooting. These figures are enough to keep the Lakers on their toes. On the other hand, the hosts do slightly better on defense and limit opponents to 113.3 points per game and 47.5% shooting.

Lakers vs. Pelicans Betting Trends

• The Lakers are 3-2 in the last five games (3-2 ATS).
• The Lakers are 2-2 in the last five meetings versus the Pelicans (2-2 ATS).
• The totals went over in three of the Lakers’ last six contests.
• The Pelicans are 2-3 in the last five games at Smoothie King Center (2-3 ATS).
• The Pelicans are 3-1 in the last four matchups against the Lakers (3-1 ATS).
• The totals went under in three of the Pelicans’ last five home games.

Lakers vs. Pelicans Expert Betting Prediction

Both sides are shorthanded. Key players such as LeBron James, Zion Williamson, and Brandon Ingram are still out. The Lakers enter the Smoothie King Center as a team in better form, but they have to plug lapses after losing to the Knicks.

The Pelicans have yet to fully hit their stride since recording long losing streaks, but they start to look better and more dangerous with McCollum taking charge. It’s a challenge to split these two sides at the moment, but New Orleans gets the slight edge with home advantage on their side. Los Angeles can still cover the spread and we expect this one to go down the wire until the fourth quarter.

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This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at Nitrobetting news. Stay tuned for more 2022-23 NBA season previews and articles and don’t forget to check out the latest basketball betting odds on our online BTC sportsbook.

*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.