Play-In Time: Pelicans vs Kings NBA Betting Lines

The NBA season will end Friday night for the loser between No. 9 seed Sacramento and No. 7 New Orleans when they face off in the final Western Conference tournament play-in game with the Pelicans as short home favorites on the NBA odds

2024 NBA Play-In Tournament Expert Analysis Sacramento vs New Orleans | MyBookie NBA

How to Bet Kings at Pelicans NBA Odds & TV Info

TV: TNT
Stream: TNT app
Radio: Tunein.com

Pelicans vs Kings Season Series

Because of one play-in tournament matchup, these teams played an unusual five times in the regular season and the Pelicans won them all. They last played April 11 in Sacramento and the Pels prevailed 135-123. CJ McCollum and Zion Williamson each scored 31 points; Williamson went to the locker room late in the second quarter with an apparent left wrist injury, but returned to score 23 points in the second half. More on him below. De’Aaron Fox had 33 points and eight assists in a losing effort.

Why Bet on Sacramento Kings?

The Kings were 2.5-point home underdogs vs. No. 10 seed Golden State on Tuesday but pulled off the impressive 118-94 upset – perhaps officially ending the Warriors’ dynasty as we know it. It was also the Kings’ largest victory over the Warriors since Feb. 21, 2006. The defeat kept Golden State out of the playoffs for the third time in the past five seasons, including two eliminations in the play-in tournament. The Warriors committed 16 turnovers and gave up 15 offensive rebounds and way too many open 3-pointers.

Dubs star Klay Thompson was a brutal 0-for-10 from the field in perhaps his final game with the franchise ahead of NBA free agency. It was just the fifth time in Thompson’s career he failed to score. It was his second time under Kerr, but the other was when he was ejected 1:43 into a Nov. 23 game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Thompson entered Tuesday’s play-in game coming off what he called the “best stretch of basketball of the year.” Through the last 4½ weeks of the regular season, Thompson was second on the team in scoring, averaging 21.2 points on 48.1% field goal shooting and 41.2% from 3. Kings fans chanted “SAC-RA-MENTO” and “Light the Beam” as Warriors fans scurried off to the exits when the lead swelled to 26 points in the final minutes.

All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox played 39 minutes in Tuesday’s win and had 24 points, six assist, four boards and two steals. All five Kings starters finished Tuesday’s win in double figures, with Fox being one of two (Murray) to score at least 20. Fox struggled with inefficiency against the Pels during the regular season, shooting 40.9% from the field and averaging 4.0 turnovers per game.

“We knew what was on the line,” Fox said of Tuesday’s win. “This was just another obstacle in our way. We have to get over this hump. Obviously losing to this team last year and obviously facing this team now, it’s like, of course we have to face this team.”

Keon Ellis, only starting due to season-ending injuries to Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk, had 15 points, five assists, four rebounds, three steals and three blocks and did a fine job of defending Steph Curry.

“Keon Ellis, the confidence he has, and the swag he brings to this team, for a young guy that was on a two-way contract in February, it’s unbelievable,” Brown said.

As noted above, Sacramento went 0-5 in the regular season against New Orleans and hasn’t gone winless in six or more games against the same opponent in a season since going 0-8 against the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1983-84 regular season and playoffs.

Bet Sacramento to Win
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Play-In Tournament Vegas Picks NBA Odds Subject to Change	SPREAD	MONEYLINE	TOTAL
New Orleans	+1	-104	O 210.5
Sacramento	-1	-116	U 210.5
NBA First Half Lines \| 2nd Half NBA Lines

Why Bet on New Orleans Pelicans?

Not only did New Orleans lose at home to the Lakers on Tuesday, 110-106, to lose out on a chance for the West’s seventh seed but the Pelicans also lost star Zion Williamson to injury and he likely will be listed questionable for Friday. The Pelicans have now lost six straight home games.

Williamson had 40 points and 11 rebounds, while the Pelicans’ other starters going a combined 13 of 41 from the floor. Shortly after tying the game at 95 on a driving layup with 3:19 to go, Williamson went to the locker room, throwing a towel to the floor in disgust as he walked into the tunnel with an apparent hamstring injury. After the game, Pelicans coach Willie Green said Williamson had “left leg soreness.” The good news is that Williamson was observed leaving the arena without a limp and without any visible wrap on his leg.

Williamson played in a career-high 71 games this season and was playing in his first non-regular-season game of his career Tuesday. He missed the Pelicans’ two play-in games in 2022 because of injury as well as their playoff series that year. He also sat out the team’s play-in game last season because of an injury. If he cannot play Friday, Trey Murphy (12 points in 31 minutes Tuesday) would move into the starting lineup.

Brandon Ingram was very quiet in Tuesday’s loss with just 11 points and four rebounds in 25 minutes. Ingram was noticeably absent during the fourth quarter, an indication that he is still bothered by a knee injury that cost him the final three weeks of the regular season. CJ McCollum also was quiet, finishing with a brutal nine points on 4-for-15 shooting. With Ingram still under a minutes restriction, the Pelicans could not afford a bad shooting night from McCollum. And McCollum entered the postseason on a high, scoring 25 points or more in seven straight games.

“I’ve got to be better. I’ve got to be more efficient,” McCollum said. “If I play a better game tonight, we end up winning.”

The Pelicans could have tied or gone ahead in the final minute after Dyson Daniels forced LeBron James into a miss. But Anthony Davis rebounded the ball with 14.8 seconds remaining, got fouled and made a pair of free throws to extend Los Angeles’ lead to four. The Pelicans went 1-4 against the Lakers this season.

Regarding Friday vs. the Kings, the Pels were first team to go 5-0 vs. a single opponent in a season since the Heat against the Nets in 1995-96.

Bet New Orleans to Win
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