Oklahoma City was the best team in the Western Conference during the regular season. So far in their best-of-seven series against the New Orleans Pelicans, OKC is showing why some believe they can upset the Nuggets and win the conference. Heading into Game 3 in New Orleans, the Thunder are a -1.5 favorite to take an insurmountable 3-0 lead. Will the Pels rally and score their first playoff victory? Or will the Thunder keep rolling? Keep reading for NBA odds and analysis for Thunder versus Pelicans.

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. New Orleans Pelicans 2024 NBA Playoffs Game 3 Info

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shows full command of the floor and leads the @okcthunder to a 2-0 series lead!

Chet Holmgren: 26 PTS (9-13 FGM), 3 3PM, 7 REB
Jalen Williams: 21 PTS, 5 REB, 7 AST
Lu Dort: 15 PTS, 4 3PM

Game 3: Saturday, 3:30pm/et on TNT pic.twitter.com/K5Cah3xmsL

— NBA (@NBA) April 25, 2024

• When: Saturday, April 27th, 2024, 3:30 PM ET
• Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
• TV: ESPN
• Radio: WWLS-FM 98.1 The Sports Animal (Thunder) // WRNO 99.5 FM (Pelicans)
• Stream: NBA League Pass
• NBA Odds: Thunder (-1.5) // Pelicans (+1.5)

Why bet on the Oklahoma City Thunder?

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a finalist for the NBA MVP. After a couple of games, we can see why. In Game 1, Shai dropped 28 points to lead the Thunder to a 94-92 victory.

Then in Game 2, Gilgeous-Alexander went off again, this time scoring 33 in an incredible 124-99 OKC win. The issue for the Pelicans is that if they stop SGA, they must still deal with former Gonzaga player Chet Holmgren.

Holmgren scored 26 points with 7 boards and 2 blocks in Game 2. If Holmgren and SGA are at the top of their games in Game 3, this will be over by halftime.

Why bet on the New Orleans Pelicans?

Game 2 got away from the Pelicans. But in Game 1, New Orleans almost pulled off the upset victory. New Orleans backcourt of CJ McCollum and Trey Murphy III played great ball.

McCollum dropped 20 with 6 assists and 3 boards. Murphy scored 21 with 4 boards and 2 assists. Now back on their court, Murphy and McCollum should control the pace of the game from the outset, which will help New Orleans gain an edge over their rivals.

Thunder vs. Pelicans Betting Trends

• Oklahoma City is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 games.
• Thunder are 7-0 SU in its last 7 games.
• The total went under in 4 of Oklahoma City’s last 6 games.
• New Orleans is 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games at home.
• Pelicans are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games.
• The total went under in 6 of New Orleans’ last 9 games.

Thunder vs. Pelicans 2024 NBA Playoffs Game 3 Prediction

New Orleans played in the first game, and the Pelicans do have home court advantage in this. But we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves. The reason OKC didn’t play as well in Game 1, and they did in Game 2 was because of nerves.

A playoff game was something new for most of OKC’s squad. So it makes sense that they’d take time to settle down and get into a rhythm. Game 2 is more of a reflection of the talent difference between the Thunder and Pelicans.

For sure, New Orleans will play the Thunder tough. But the spread is only 1.5 points. SGA and Holmgren dominate from the outset for a comfortable 6 to 10 point Thunder victory.

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READ MORE: Thunder vs. Pelicans 2024 NBA Playoffs Odds & Game 4 Preview