The Anthony Davis situation just continues to get uglier and uglier. The superstar center is going to be with the New Orleans Pelicans the rest of the season after the team failed to deal him before the deadline. However, there is all sorts of drama centering on whether the team should keep playing him this season or keep Davis on the bench to avoid possible injury and torpedo his value.
Davis is expected to play next time out against the Oklahoma City Thunder but keep an eye on any updates. With him, the team can hang with OKC because New Orleans gets this one at home. If he happens to sit, then the Thunder would quickly become the favorite to come away with the road win.
This is a fluid situation and one to monitor all the way up to tipoff. The Thunder is pushing hard for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference and a victory in this game would be a great boost in NBA betting.
This NBA basketball game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans will be held at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 14th, 2019. The game will be nationally televised on TNT.
We'll have NBA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2019 NBA season.
Odds Analysis
The Thunder has a record of 36-19 on the season. It has won three consecutive games and nine of its past 10 to pull within one game of the Nuggets for the second best record in the West. Oklahoma City is 17-12 on the road on the year and playing at a really high level. Even if Davis plays, the Thunder will be confident it can come away with this win.
The Pelicans have a mark of 25-32 overall and have been slowly dropping down the standings in the Western Conference. Davis was hurt for a stretch and then requested a trade, which has contributed to the team’s struggles. At this point, it would be a shock if the Pelicans turned it around and competed for a playoff berth. New Orleans is 16-10 at home so it does have enough talent to win this game if Davis plays.
Player To Watch
Paul George -- Davis may be getting all the headlines and Russell Westbrook may be the most well-known player in this game, but it’s George who has been putting together dominant displays of late. He is coming off a great performance against the Portland Trail Blazers in which he scored 47 points to help lead the team to victory. He had 45 in a win over the Rockets in the game before that.
George is having a monster year, averaging 28.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. George is shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 40.8 percent from three-point range on the year.
Key Stat
10. That’s the number of triple-doubles in a row for Westbrook, who has set an NBA record in the category. He is well on his way to averaging a triple-double for the third consecutive season, which is simply an incredible feat.
There may not be a better all-around player in the NBA than Westbrook, and his pairing with George has put the Thunder on the short list of contenders to Golden State’s throne in the West. Oklahoma City would like to see Westbrook shoot the ball better, as he has not been efficient from the outside this year.
If he shoots well and does the rest of his usual standout plays, the Pelicans will be in trouble.
Free NBA ATS Picks
Even with Westbrook and George on the court, Davis is the best player when things are going well. However, there is way too much drama surrounding the Pelicans right now. It is going to be a fractured group no matter if the superstar center plays or not. The expectation is that Davis will be on the court against Oklahoma City, but it won’t matter.
The Thunder is the choice to both win this game and cover the spread in NBA gambling.
NBA ATS Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder 122, New Orleans Pelicans 109
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