Without Zion Williamson in the lineup, the New Orleans Pelicans pushed the No. 1-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder to the edge in Game 1 in what ended up being just a two-point loss. They'll look to build off of that performance in Game 2 on Wednesday night at the Paycom Center.
Let's put together a same-game parlay and win some money.
Series Preview: Pelicans vs. Thunder First Round Betting Odds
New Orleans Pelicans Vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Game 2
Matchup Page: New Orleans Pelicans vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 9:30 p.m. ET
| Bet | Odds |
|---|---|
| Oklahoma City Thunder ATS -7.5 | -110 |
| Jalen Williams OVER 19.5 Points | +100 |
| CJ McCollum OVER 20.5 Points | -122 |
| Overall | +511 |
Same-Game Parlay Pick No. 1: Oklahoma City Thunder ATS -7.5
New Orleans won't fade away into the night after what appeared to be a debilitating blow in the form of Williamson injuring his hamstring during the play-in tournament. The odds aren't in their favor as the eighth seed, but as Sunday's showing demonstrated, the Pelicans still have enough in the tank to challenge what remains an inexperienced and unproven postseason team in the Thunder.
Oklahoma City is undefeated at 20-0 SU in 2023-24 when favored by at least 7.5 points at home, which includes its 94-92 win over New Orleans in Game 1. It was just the first time in the month of April that it failed to cover under said criteria, though, as the Pelicans entered as 9.5-point underdogs prior to losing by a single basket.
Perhaps it was the wakeup call the Thunder needed. New Orleans had to compete in a pair of play-in outings just to qualify to face Oklahoma City, resulting in more game-ready legs, while the Thunder went a full week before taking the hardwood for Game 1. Expect Oklahoma City to be more mentally and physically prepared in what will be a statement victory before the series shifts to the Smoothie King Center for Games 3 and 4.
Same-Game Parlay Pick No. 2: Jalen Williams OVER 19.5 Points
Jalen Williams' production in Game 1 fell in line with his season contributions across three appearances against New Orleans. The 23-year-old forward, who just finished fourth in voting for Most Improved Player, averaged 19.7 points on 46.7 percent shooting in those games, while scoring 19 points on 8-of-18 shooting (44.4 percent) in Game 1.
Oddsmakers don't believe Williams will topple the 19.5-point mark on Wednesday, evident by the +100 odds. It makes sense, since he hit the UNDER on that number in two out of three games against the Pelicans, although his most recent effort prior to Game 1 on March 26 resulted in 26 points in 34 minutes.
We're taking the OVER, though, because Williams played 40 minutes on Sunday with a healthy 18 shot attempts. Thunder guards Josh Giddey and Lu Dortz were ghosts offensively, combining for eight points on 12 shots. A repeat night from those two isn't ideal, but it would lead to even more of an emphasis on Williams as a viable No. 2 behind MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Same-Game Parlay Pick No. 3: CJ McCollum OVER 20.5 Points
Oddsmakers know what they're doing listing CJ McCollum's point total at 20.5 points, as he finished Game 1 with 20 points on 9-of-22 shooting in 39 minutes.
It creates a tiny bit of doubt over whether or not the veteran guard can topple it, but it honestly shouldn't be a problem. McCollum registered 28 and 25 points in play-in games against the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers, respectively, and ended the regular season on a seven-game streak of 25 points or more.
There's not much backcourt depth off the bench for New Orleans to spot McCollum many minutes anyway, so take the OVER with confidence.
