New Orleans Pelicans vs Oklahoma City Thunder 12/23/2022 Picks

New Orleans Pelicans vs Oklahoma City Thunder 12/23/2022 Picks Predictions Previews

The New Orleans Pelicans will meet with the Oklahoma City Thunder in NBA action in Paycom Center, OKC, on Friday, December 23, 2022, at 8:00 PM ET.

Since the start of the season, the Pelicans have been the buzz of the league, but a recent four-game losing streak has everyone wondering if and when they will recover.

Even though they currently have an 18-12 record, they were in the top half of the Western Conference until their losing streak began.

Given the caliber of the teams they lost to in Milwaukee, Phoenix, and twice against Utah, all of which occurred on the road, it isn’t quite as alarming.

Prior to their losing skid, this team won two straight games against the Suns, so they have experience with significant victories this year. They will need to recover that confidence.

This team struggled on the road, where they have a 6-8 record; this will be tested once more on Friday night.

Given how the past few years went, it may come as a surprise that this squad is having success, but their statistics on both sides of the ball show that they are a potent unit.

Although the defense was solid, this team was carried by its offense. They enter this game ranked fifth in field goal percentage and third in shooting in the league.

The Pelicans anticipate being without their top 2 offensive threats, which is concerning for this game.

The total went OVER in 6 of New Orleans’ last 7 matches.
The New Orleans Pelicans are 1-4 SU in their last 5 matches.
The New Orleans Pelicans are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 matches against Oklahoma City.

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New Orleans Pelicans vs Oklahoma City Thunder Predictions 12/23/2022

A three-game winning run gave OKC newfound confidence, despite the fact that they had a sluggish start to the season and still rank among the league’s weakest teams overall.

Even while a victory over Memphis last week caught some people’s attention, two of those victories came against Portland, which isn’t the most spectacular of accomplishments.

With a 9-7 home record entering this game and New Orleans having trouble away from home, Oklahoma City may pick up another spectacular victory before the break.

Due to their scoring struggles at times this season and the Pelicans’ absence of their top two players, the Thunder will be attempting to control the tempo of this game and avoid a shootout.

The match will be in Shai Gilgeous-hands Alexander’s because of his MVP-caliber season (21.2 ppg, 5.7 apg). There is no reason the undefeated run can’t continue if he controls the pace and spots mismatches.

How this squad will perform on the glass is a big worry. The team’s leading rebounder, Josh Giddey (8.0 rpg), will have to find a way to restrict second-chance opportunities given how the Pelicans control the glass.

The Oklahoma City Thunder is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 matches.
The total went UNDER in 4 of Oklahoma City’s last 5 matches.
The Oklahoma City Thunder is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 matches at home.

New Orleans Pelicans vs Oklahoma City Thunder. The NBA pick for this game is the New Orleans Pelicans.

Even though the Pelicans are without some important players, they will still find a way to not only stay in the game but also pull off an unexpected victory.

They still possess an edge when it comes to the paint even without Williamson and Ingram. Due to the Pelicans’ size inside, they should be able to find plenty of easy baskets while the Thunder struggles to prevent second-chance opportunities.

The New Orleans Pelicans will win to a predicted score of 119-115.

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