The Los Angeles Lakers have little time to lick their wounds Friday night.
Just 24 hours removed from a rough loss to Golden State, Los Angeles welcomes the New Orleans Pelicans to Crypto.com Arena.
Last night's loss dropped L.A. to fourth in the Western Conference standings, making this matchup with New Orleans urgent.
The Pelicans, who are sizeable underdogs, have already been eliminated from the postseason and shut down several stars for the home stretch.
With playoff seeding at stake, Los Angeles looks to Austin Reaves to lift the Purple and Gold with his playmaking.
That’s where you’ll find my best Pelicans vs. Lakers predictions and NBA picks for Friday, April 4.
Pelicans vs Lakers prediction
My best bet: Austin Reaves Over 4.5 Assists (+100 at bet365)
My analysis
Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves’ playmaking has taken a back seat to scoring in the past two months.
The Lakers’ scrappy point guard averaged more than six assists from November to January, but the arrival of Luka Doncic has taken some of the passing prowess off Reaves.
With Doncic drawing defensive attention and moving the basketball to open teammates, Reaves’ scoring has surged.
He’s putting up more than 22 points per game over the past two months, including a massive 31-point performance against Golden State last night.
Reaves assists have understandably taken a nosedive in that same frame, dishing out just over five dimes per outing.
He’s been even stingier with the ball in recent outings, recording five or more assists only twice in the past six contests.
Those tallies have dropped Reaves passing props, which used to sit around 6.5 Over/Under.
Those totals are now at 4.5 O/U with the Under juiced heavily, which is what we’re seeing for tonight’s tilt with the Pelicans.
This looks like a good spot to buy back those adjustments.
Reaves' potential assists have also dipped in that span, dropping from an average of 11 to nine the past six games, but that’s still high—especially when you consider the reliable scoring options on the other side of those potential assists (Doncic, LeBron James, Rui Hachimura).
New Orleans isn’t pushing back on defense.
The Pels have packed it in and carry the NBA’s second-worst defensive rating into this meeting in La-La Land.
New Orleans is 25th in assist-to-FG ratio (65.9%) on the season, and it has produced almost 29 assists from foes an outing.
Player projections for tonight’s game all come in above five dimes from Reaves, with a few forecasts flirting with six assists.
My number comes out to 5.5 helpers, which should have the Over 4.5 assists priced at -160.
However, you can find this prop at plus-money on Friday morning.
Pelicans vs Lakers same-game parlay
Austin Reaves 5+ Assists
Luka Doncic 30+ Points
Rui Hachimura 2+ 3-Pointers
Reaves will be more of a facilitator tonight, with game models calling for as many as six assists against a bad NOLA defense.
Luka Doncic was pissed with his effort last night after going 0 for 6 from 3-point range. Luka gets his groove back tonight with a 30-point performance.
Rui Hachimura is healthy and finding his way back into this L.A. attack. He’s benefitting from all the open space the stars create and has hit two or more triples in three of his last four games.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Pelicans vs Lakers odds
Pelicans vs Lakers live odds
Pelicans vs Lakers opening odds
- Spread: New Orleans +13.5 (-110) | Los Angeles -13.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: New Orleans (+675) | Los Angeles (-1100)
- Over/Under: Over 222.5 (-110) | Under 222.5 (-110)
Odds courtesy of bet365
Pelicans vs Lakers spread and Over/Under analysis
• Oddsmakers opened Los Angeles as a 14-point favorite before last night’s loss to Golden State, which bumped this spread to -13.5 overnight.
• The total hit the board at 221.5 O/U and shifted to 219 overnight before coming back up to 220.5 with the Lakers’ star expected to play.
• According to Covers Consensus, 53% of picks are taking the pile of points with the Pelicans while 59% of total picks are banking on the Over.
Pelicans vs Lakers trend
The Lakers are 7-5 SU and ATS in the second game of back-to-back contests this season, including 4-1 SU and ATS when that second game is played at home. Find more NBA betting trends for Pelicans vs. Lakers.
How to watch Pelicans vs Lakers
| Location | Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA |
| Date | Friday, 4-4-2025 |
| Tip-off | 10:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | Spectrum SportsNet, GCSEN / WVUE |
Pelicans vs Lakers latest injuries
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