The New Orleans Pelicans, even without the services of Zion Williamson for their final attempt, managed to claw their way out of the NBA's play-in tournament to secure a first-round matchup with the No. 1-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in this year's playoffs.
Here's everything you need to know before these two squads take the hardwood for their best-of-seven series.
2024 NBA Playoff Previews
- Eastern Conference: No. 1 Boston Celtics vs. No. 8 Miami Heat
- Eastern Conference: No. 2 New York Knicks vs. No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers
- Eastern Conference: No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 6 Indiana Pacers
- Eastern Conference: No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Orlando Magic
- Western Conference: No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 New Orleans Pelicans
- Western Conference: No. 2 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers
- Western Conference: No. 3 Minnesota Timberwolves vs. No. 6 Phoenix Suns
- Western Conference: No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers vs. No. 5 Dallas Mavericks
(Related Link) NBA Playoff Betting History: Key Trends, Tips
Oklahoma City Thunder Vs. New Orleans Pelicans Hub
Oklahoma City Thunder Vs. New Orleans Pelicans Schedule
| Game | Date | Time (ET) | Arena |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Sunday, April 21, 2024 | 9:30 p.m. | Paycom Center |
| Game 2 | Wednesday, April 24, 2024 | 9:30 p.m. | Paycom Center |
| Game 3 | Saturday, April 27, 2024 | 3:30 p.m. | Smoothie King Center |
| Game 4 | Monday, April 29, 2024 | TBD | Smoothie King Center |
| Game 5 | Wednesday, May 1, 2024 | TBD | Paycom Center |
| Game 6 | Friday, May 3, 2024 | TBD | Smoothie King Center |
| Game 7 | Sunday, May 5, 2024 | TBD | Paycom Center |
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. New Orleans Pelicans Series Winner Odds
| Team | Moneyline |
|---|---|
| Oklahoma City Thunder | -700 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | +450 |
While oddsmakers don't believe that will be the case here, there have been six instances in NBA history where a No. 8 seed has upset a No. 1 seed in the first round.
The 1993-94 Denver Nuggets accomplished it first by defeating the Seattle SuperSonics in five games, and the 2022-23 Miami Heat managed to pull off the feat last season by shocking the Milwaukee Bucks in five games en route to a Finals berth.
Oklahoma City Thunder Vs. New Orleans Pelicans Total Games Odds
| Total Games | Odds |
|---|---|
| 5 Games | +180 |
| 6 Games | +260 |
| 4 Games | +300 |
| 7 Games | +320 |
This is the first postseason appearance for the Thunder since 2019-20 when it was ousted in the opening round in seven games by the Houston Rockets. The franchise hasn't advanced past the first round since 2015-16. The Pelicans, meanwhile, return to the playoffs after failing to qualify last year.
Oklahoma City Thunder Vs. New Orleans Pelicans Series Prediction Odds
| Series Outcome | Odds |
|---|---|
| Oklahoma City Thunder 4-0 | TBD |
| Oklahoma City Thunder 4-1 | TBD |
| Oklahoma City Thunder 4-2 | TBD |
| Oklahoma City Thunder 4-3 | TBD |
| New Orleans Pelicans 4-0 | TBD |
| New Orleans Pelicans 4-1 | TBD |
| New Orleans Pelicans 4-2 | TBD |
| New Orleans Pelicans 4-3 | TBD |
Still to come.
Oklahoma City Thunder Vs. New Orleans Pelicans 2023-24 Season Series (Thunder 2-1)
| Date | Result | Leading Scorer |
|---|---|---|
| March 26, 2024 | 119-112 Thunder | Zion Williamson, Pelicans (29 Points) |
| Jan. 26, 2024 | 107-83 Thunder | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder (31 Points) |
| Nov. 1, 2023 | 110-106 Pelicans | C.J. McCollum, Pelicans (29 Points) |
It's fitting that New Orleans' one victory over Oklahoma City was on the road, as the Pelicans possessed the strongest road record in basketball at 28-24. They were also a commendable 26-22 against teams better than .500, which was fourth-best in the conference.
Oklahoma City Thunder Vs. New Orleans Pelicans 2023-24 Spread History
| Date | Spread (Thunder) | Spread (Pelicans) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 26, 2024 | -1 | +1 | Thunder Cover (Favorites) |
| Jan. 26, 2024 | -1.5 | +1.5 | Thunder Cover (Favorites) |
| Nov. 1, 2023 | -3.5 | +3.5 | Pelicans Cover (Underdogs) |
The Thunder won 77 percent of their games with a 47-14 record when entering as a favorite, including twice both SU and ATS against New Orleans.
Oklahoma City Thunder Vs. New Orleans Pelicans 2023-24 OVER/UNDER History
| Date | Score | O/U Total | Final Total | O/U Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 26, 2024 | 119-112 | 223 | 231 | OVER |
| Jan. 26, 2024 | 107-83 | 238 | 190 | UNDER |
| Nov. 1, 2023 | 110-106 | 227.5 | 216 | UNDER |
The Thunder hit the OVER an impressive 44 times in 2023-24, but managed to topple the total set by oddsmakers just once against a New Orleans team that reached it 36 times over the course of the campaign.
Oklahoma City Thunder Vs. New Orleans Pelicans Top Scorer Odds
| Player | Team | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Oklahoma City Thunder | -330 |
| Brandon Ingram | New Orleans Pelicans | +750 |
| CJ McCollum | New Orleans Pelicans | +750 |
| Jalen Williams | Oklahoma City Thunder | +1200 |
| Trey Murphy III | New Orleans Pelicans | +5000 |
| Chet Holmgren | Oklahoma City Thunder | +6500 |
| Jonas Valanciunas | New Orleans Pelicans | +10000 |
| Josh Giddey | Oklahoma City Thunder | +13000 |
| Herb Jones | New Orleans Pelicans | +20000 |
| Lu Dort | Oklahoma City Thunder | +20000 |
Oklahoma City Thunder Player To Watch: Jalen Williams
| Games (vs. Pelicans) | PTS | FG% | 3P% | REB | AST | STL | BLK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 19.7 | 46.7 | 30.8 | 4.7 | 5.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
A longshot candidate for Most Improved Player, Jalen Williams blossomed into one of the game's rising young stars as the Thunder's second-leading scorer. He emerged as a reliable end-of-game option converting 28-of-41 shots in the last five minutes of close games and was arguably Oklahoma City's strongest perimeter defender, which is saying something standing alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
New Orleans Pelicans Player To Watch: Brandon Ingram
| Games (vs. Thunder) | PTS | FG% | 3P% | REB | AST | STL | BLK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12.0 | 55.6 | 0.0 | 4.0 | 9.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 |
Brandon Ingram can no longer hide behind the massive frame of the now injured Zion Williamson and be an afterthought. A 24-point effort on 50 percent shooting in the win over Sacramento was a good start, as it will be those types of performances that can help keep New Orleans in a series against a still unproven Thunder roster.
Oklahoma City Thunder Vs. New Orleans Pelicans Odds To Win Western Conference
| Team | Odds To Win West |
|---|---|
| Oklahoma City Thunder | +460 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | +6500 |
Oddsmakers aren't giving the Pelicans a glimmer of hope here, as their 65-to-1 odds are by the worst of any team in the West. The Los Angeles Lakers also advanced out of the play-in tournament and sit at 15-to-1 to represent the conference in the Finals.
Oklahoma City Thunder Vs. New Orleans Pelicans Odds To Win NBA Championship
| Team | Odds To Win NBA Finals |
|---|---|
| Oklahoma City Thunder | +1300 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | +13000 |
Talk about a discrepancy. It remains to be seen how much better New Orleans' odds would have been had Williamson been healthy.
Expert Prediction: Oklahoma City Thunder (-700), Oklahoma City Thunder Win Series 4-1
As young and inexperienced as the Thunder are, prevailing as the top seed in the West which wasn't even determined until the last day of the season is quite the feather in their cap. If anything, though, it does add a significant amount of pressure, as the expectations to go far are there. Thankfully, they're playing the long game and are built for years of success no matter how this playoff run culminates.
New Orleans did go 7-5 SU without Williamson in the lineup, which improves to 8-5 if you include the latest dub over the Kings. Its best interior option in Jonas Valanciunas may be rendered obsolete in a series like this, though, against the more athletic and nimble Chet Holmgren. The Lithuanian big man only averaged 17.3 minutes against Oklahoma City, down from his season average of 23.5.
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault will have his players ready, understanding that nothing is a given despite their seeding. New Orleans could steal a game, but if that's the case, it may awaken Oklahoma City even more in what should end up being a gentlemen's sweep.
