New Orleans Pelicans vs. Oklahoma City Thunder 12/12/18: Starting Lineups, Matchup Breakdown, Odds, Daily Fantasy, Betting
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Preview
Just when we thought the Golden State Warriors had taken their rightful place atop the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder decided they wanted to have a say in the matter.
The Thunder (17-8) will be on the road tonight against the New Orleans Pelicans (14-15). Oklahoma City took the first game of the season series 122-116 with Paul George leading OKC with 23 points.
The Pelicans have not exactly been the picture of consistency, and they’ll have their work cut out for them in attempting to cool down the red-hot Thunder.
Anthony Davis bounced back from a six-point game against Detroit, but he draws Steven Adams tonight, who will be looking to make life difficult for the all-star.
TV Schedule
Date: 12/12/18
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Arena: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
Channel: ESPN
New Orleans Pelicans Starting Lineup
Position | Starter |
---|---|
PG | Jrue Holiday |
SG | Elfrid Payton |
SF | Kenrich Williams |
PF | Julius Randle |
C | Anthony Davis |
Pelicans Analysis
New Orleans is 4-6 in their last ten games and have not been able to find momentum or string together many wins, however they are 10-4 at Smoothie King Center, which plays into their favor tonight.
Coach Alvin Gentry has stuck with his latest lineup iteration, utilizing E’Twaun Moore in more of a Manu Ginobili role as a spark plug off the bench to provide some scoring punch.
One game after scoring his season-high of 37 points against Detroit, point guard Jrue Holiday struggled against Boston with seven points and six assists. It was just the opposite for Anthony Davis, who struggled against Detroit, but looked unstoppable against Boston with 41 points, seven rebounds and four steals.
Aside from Davis and Holiday, Julius Randle seems to be making the Pelicans’ free-agency gamble on him pay dividends. Even when New Orleans hasn’t been consistent, Randle has been, and he had a big game in the first game against Oklahoma City, so he’ll be one to watch tonight.
Pelicans Quick Links: Pelicans Starting Lineup, Pelicans Roster, Pelicans Depth Chart, Pelicans Injuries, Pelicans News, Pelicans Schedule
Oklahoma City Thunder Starting Lineup
Position | Starter |
---|---|
PG | Russell Westbrook |
SG | Dennis Schroeder |
SF | Terrance Ferguson |
PF | Jerami Grant |
C | Steven Adams |
Contents
Thunder Analysis
The Thunder are the hottest team in the league. They have won five of their last six games and seem to be a completely different team than the group that started the season 0-4.
Paul George has been one of the catalysts responsible for the change in the Thunder, and his decision to remain loyal to Oklahoma City Thunder in the offseason seems to have been the right one. George is playing at an NBA level, and in his last three games alone, he is averaging 32 points per game.
The addition of Dennis Schroeder over the offseason has also been a positive one, and the point guard’s addition seems to have been a seamless one. He has given the Thunder another capable scorer and assist man, and Russell Westbrook has been the triple-double machine we’ve all come to know well.
One of the biggest differences in the Thunder between their record before October 28 (0-4) and their record since (17-4) has been defense. Their defensive rating, steals and points off turnovers numbers have all improved.
Thunder Quick Links: Thunder Starting Lineup, Thunder Roster, Thunder Depth Chart, Thunder Injuries, Thunder News, Thunder Schedule
Pelicans vs. Thunder Betting Odds
Oklahoma City is the -2 favorite on the road against the Pelicans. While the Thunder have been an excellent 10-3 at home, they’ve also done well on the road, with a 7-5 record
Odds & Line Movement Links: , Vegas Odds (All NBA Games Today)
Bet This Game
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DraftKings & FanDuel Fantasy Picks
While Paul George has been playing well and scoring a ton of points, it’s hard to go against a player known for triple-doubles as our fantasy stud pick. Russell Westbrook’s salary on FanDuel is $11,500 and he is projected for 56.71 points.
Anthony Davis is an easy choice for New Orleans’ stud pick, especially after his 41-point outburst. His salary is $12,400 on FanDuel and he has a whopping 60.52 fantasy points projection .
Jerami Grant and Schroeder could be selected as value picks for OKC, but when you consider Steven Adams’ Fan Duel salary of $6,700 with a projection of 34.17 points, it’s hard to pick anyone else, especially considering the season he’s had.
Moore is a fantastic value for fantasy owners. The Pelicans’ sub’s salary comes in at just $4,300 and he is projected for 19.01 points.
Find all of our Fanduel and Draftkings projections here: https://www.lineups.com/nba/nba-fantasy-basketball-projections.