NBA Friday Night Odds: New Orleans Pelicans at Oklahoma City Thunder

New Orleans at Oklahoma City
Time: 8 PM ET, Apr 11, 2014
Spread: OKC -15.5
Total: 205

Betting odds courtesy of Bovada

The Oklahoma City Thunder hold a 2.5 game lead over the Los Angeles Clippers for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. With the season waning, a win over the New Orleans Pelicans would nearly assure such a seeding in the playoffs.

The Thunder will host the Pelicans in a game NBA oddsmakers at Bovada are favoring the Thunder by 15.5 points.

OKC really helped its cause with a 107-101 victory over the Clippers on Wed (Apr 9) night. Russell Westbrook had 30 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in the victory, which was the Thunders’ second consecutive. Following this matchup against the Pelicans, the Thunder will take on Indiana, New Orleans again, and Detroit to close out the season.

New Orleans got bad news when it found it would be without forward Anthony Davis for the remainder of the season due to back pain. Davis had a breakout season this year for New Orleans, averaging 20.8 points, 10 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game while posting a PER of 26.59. When the Pelicans get Jrue Holiday and Ryan Anderson back in the fold next year, it cold be a dangerous team.

Many criticized the Pelicans for dumping a 2014 lottery pick to obtain Holiday, but the pick is going to end up being around the 10th pick. Holiday is likely going to be a better player that whomever the Pelicans could have nabbed there, and the team needed a premier playmaker to pair with Davis. It seems like the right move, still, a this point.

NOP Trends: UNDER 4-0 in last 4 vs teams with winning percentage above .600; OVER 6-0 in last 6 Friday games; 4-0-1 ATS in last 5 games following ATS win.