The Los Angeles Lakers will partake in the NBA betting playoffs once it’s all said and done. What seed they earn is the only thing left to be determined at online sportsbooks. With three games remaining on the regular season docket – including Sunday’s season finale against the New Orleans Pelicans – the defending champs would likely need to win out and have either the Portland Trail Blazers or Dallas Mavericks fall flat on their faces to have any shot of avoiding the play-in round. That likely won’t occur with the Mavs due to an incredibly easy end of season schedule, but the makings are there for the Blazers to have a rough go of it with three games lined up against the Jazz, Suns and Nuggets. All said, LA is likely to be forced to play its way into the second season, so be sure to check the playoff scenarios and injury reports before throwing your hard earned money down on what could ultimately be a meaningless game.
This non-divisional Western Conference battle is set to go down live on Sunday, May 16, 2021 from the Smoothie King Center. We'll have NBA odds, totals and player props available at BookMaker.eu for this and every game set to go on Sunday’s loaded NBA slate.
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Odds Analysis
The Lakers are likely to finish third in the Pacific Division standings behind the Clippers and Suns. Frank Vogel’s squad has amassed 39-30 SU and 31-37-1 ATS records over the course of the regular season mostly playing without a full deck. LeBron James won’t lace ‘em up the remainder of the regular season, and now Anthony Davis is battling a groin injury after missing a bulk of the last three months due to another ailment. The defending champs just haven’t been able to stay healthy, and it’s one of the main reasons why they’re no longer the odds on favorites to win the NBA title in back-to-back years. For a moment there, it looked like the Pels would secure a playoff bid, but the injury bug prevented that from happening. Since Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram went down with likely season-ending injuries on the same day, New Orleans has dropped two of three games to fall well off the pace. Even so, they covered the closing NBA odds in all three games to move to a moneymaking 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games. The Pelicans clearly want to close the season out on a high.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lake Show kept their slim chances of bypassing the play-in round last time out by scoring a huge 101-99 overtime home win against Julius Randle and the New York Knicks. Unfortunately, the possession win saw them just fall short of covering the 3-point spread. Davis and Kyle Kuzma stepped up big with the duo combining for 43 points and 9 rebounds with only two other players registering double-digits in scoring. The win was predicated upon the defense allowing both Randle and Derrick Rose getting theirs, but every other player that logged minutes on the Knicks roster failed to hit the double-digit plateau. LA owns the second best scoring defense in the league (106.5 PPG), and it showed in the crucial home win.
New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans will return home from a daunting road trip that began with three straight against the 76ers, Hornets and Grizzlies and then wrapped with stops in Dallas and Golden State. Even with Zion and Ingram out of the mix at Memphis, the Pelicans gave Ja Morant and company all they could ask for and more. Seven Pelicans logged double-digits in scoring with Nickiel Alexander-Walker’s 18 points leading the way. Thankfully, the team will get a full day off to prepare for their final game of the season versus a Lakers outfit it split the two prior meetings against after falling 112-95 as 9-point Staples Center underdogs and following it up with a decisive 128-111 win and cover back home in the rematch. New Orleans has managed just four wins and pointspread covers in its last 10 home games.
Los Angeles vs. New Orleans Prediction
Don’t be shocked if the Lakers hit the board as underdogs in this regular season finale with the Pels. Should LA have no shot of avoiding the play-in round, I can’t help but think most of the regulars will be benched. They’re all banged up as it is, so it only makes sense to give them as much time to get their bodies and minds right before being forced to play for their playoff lives. With that, I fully expect the offenses to put on a show and for the defenses to take the day off. Should Zion and Ingram also miss the finale, linemakers will likely post a deflated total for the final go round. Should the number to beat surface around 210, I’ll have no issues taking advantage of the line value by hitting the over.
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