New Orleans Pelicans vs Los Angeles Lakers Prediction & Picks - NBA

Prediction published on 3/4/25, 6:17 AM  by Erik Gibbs | Modified on 3/4/25 at 6:23 AM in NBA Picks

The Los Angeles Lakers will welcome the New Orleans Pelicans to Crypto.com Arena tonight for a Western Conference regular-season showdown. This matchup marks the second meeting between the two teams this season, with the Lakers securing a narrow 104-99 victory in November. Despite winning that game, Los Angeles failed to cover the eight-point spread, hinting at how competitive this series could be.

The Pelicans, who are all but eliminated from playoff contention as they sit 15 games behind the No. 10 seed in the West, have been showing signs of life recently. They have won four of their last five contests, including a 128-121 road win against the Utah Jazz on Sunday. However, their recent success comes with a caveat—most of these wins have been against struggling teams such as the Spurs, Suns, and Jazz. While New Orleans has been playing well, it remains to be seen how they fare against a much stronger opponent like the Lakers.

Meanwhile, the Lakers are in peak form, having won 18 of their last 22 games. They enter this matchup riding a six-game winning streak after edging out the Clippers 108-102 on Sunday. Los Angeles is playing some of its best basketball of the season, with LeBron James continuing to dominate and Luka Dončić fitting in seamlessly with his new team. The chemistry between James and Dončić has been improving with each game, making the Lakers an even bigger threat as they push for a high seed in the West.