New Orleans Pelicans vs Oklahoma City Thunder Prediction, 4/24/2024 Preview and Pick

Game: New Orleans Pelicans vs Oklahoma City Thunder

Date: Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Location: Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK

TV: TNT

Odds/Point Spread: New Orleans (+9)

The New Orleans Pelicans are on their way to Paycom Center on Wednesday where they will attempt to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 2 of their series. The Thunder lead the series 1-0. Oklahoma City opens as 9-point favorites. The total is 213.5.

The Pelicans took a loss by a score of 94-92 in Game 1. In the matter of fouls, the Pelicans ended up with 16 and the Thunder accounted for 13 fouls. They also knocked down 10 of their 32 tries from long range. Oklahoma City went 76.9% when shooting free throws by burying 10 of their 13 attempts. Moreover, Oklahoma City grabbed 44 rebounds (8 offensive, 36 defensive) and added 6 rejections. Oklahoma City earned 21 dimes and had 5 steals for the matchup. Regarding defending, New Orleans let their opponent shoot 43.5% from the field on 37 out of 85 shooting. They also doled out 22 dimes for the matchup while forcing 13 turnovers and earning 7 steals. In terms of grabbing boards, they collected a total of 52 with 18 of them being on the offensive end. When they shot from the charity stripe, the Pelicans made 7 of their 9 attempts for a percentage of 77.8%. New Orleans wrapped up the game having earned a 38.5% FG percentage (37 out of 96) and converted 11 of 39 3-pointers.

Trey Murphy III is a player who was important for the contest. Murphy walked away from this one shooting 44.4% from the floor and also distributed 2 assists. He played for 44 minutes and also collected 4 rebounds. He walked away with 21 points on 8 out of 18 shooting.

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New Orleans heads into this game with a mark of 49-33 this year. They are averaging 115.1 points per contest (13th in the league) while going 48.6% from the floor. The Pelicans are hitting 38.3% on shots beyond the perimeter (1,023 of 2,673) and 77.1% from the charity stripe. As a team, New Orleans is pulling down 44.0 boards per contest and is sitting with 2,210 dimes this year, which ranks 13th in the NBA in terms of passing. They are turning it over 13.0 times per contest and as a group they commit 18.4 fouls on a nightly basis.

On the defensive end of the court, the Pelicans are forcing 14.2 turnovers on a nightly basis while drawing 18.4 fouls. They are currently ranked 17th in the NBA in allowing assists to the opposition with 2,196 conceded so far this year. The Pelicans are giving up a shooting percentage of 46.4% (3,317 of 7,155) and they relinquish 42.3 rebounds per contest as a group. They are conceding 34.9% from 3-point land and they are 8th in the NBA in PPG from their opponents (110.7).

In regard to rebounding in Game 1, Oklahoma City allowed New Orleans to grab 52 overall (18 on the offensive glass). They shot 28.2% from distance by shooting 11 of 39 and walked away from this one shooting 7 of 9 at the free throw line (77.8%). The Thunder permitted the Pelicans to make 37 of their 96 attempts from the floor which had them shooting 38.5% for this contest. When the final whistle blew, the Thunder walked away from this one shooting 37 out of 85 from the field which gave them a percentage of 43.5%. Pertaining to shooting from 3-point land, Oklahoma City buried 10 out of 32 attempts (31.3%). They were able to make 10 of the free throw tries for a rate of 76.9%. The Pelicans had 16 fouls for the game which got the Thunder to the free throw line for a total of 13 shots. They turned it over 13 times, while recording 5 steals in this contest. The Thunder were able to collect 36 defensive boards and 8 offensive boards for a total of 44 for the game.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ended up being a major contributor for the Thunder for the game. Gilgeous-Alexander earned 28 points in his 39 mins on the hardwood and had 4 dimes for the contest. He buried 11 of 24 in this matchup for a rate of 45.8%, and accounted for 6 rebounds.

Oklahoma City has a win-loss record of 57-25 on the season. The Thunder have committed 18.8 personal fouls every game and they shoot 82.5% from the charity stripe. They are dishing out assists 27.1 times per contest (11th in the league) and they turn the ball over 12.7 times per contest. Oklahoma City has accounted for 9,847 points on the season (120.1 per contest) and they pull in 42.0 rebounds per game. As an offensive unit, the Thunder are hitting on 49.9% from the field, which has them ranked 3rd in basketball.

The Thunder on defense are ranked 11th in the NBA in PPG surrendered with 112.7. They are able to force 15.7 turnovers on a nightly basis and allow teams to shoot 45.5% from the floor (3rd in basketball). The Oklahoma City defense gives up 36.1% on shots from beyond the arc (1,101 of 3,052) and opponents are connecting on 78.9% of their shots from the free throw line. They have conceded 26.9 dimes and 44.7 rebounds every game, which ranks them 18th and 23rd in the NBA.

Who will win tonight's NBA game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Oklahoma City (-9)

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