Oklahoma vs Pelicans Prediction 11 February 2025

Can the New Orleans Pelicans avoid a major defeat at the Paycom Center? The prediction for the visitors is not promising. They are the main underdogs of the Western Conference in the NBA, while the Oklahoma City Thunder is leading it. At first glance, the hosts should not face any problems in the upcoming game. However, we will consider different options to make the prediction optimal.

Head-to-Head

In a stretch of 51 head-to-head matches, Oklahoma holds the advantage with 35 wins. This season, they have already defeated New Orleans twice. On their home court, the team was extremely good in defense (106:88). Away, they performed worse in this component but managed to improve in offense (119:109). In both cases, the most productive players were Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored a combined 58-60 points. It is worth noting that the Pelicans have lost eight consecutive head-to-head matches.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Oklahoma is the absolute leader of the West. They have only nine losses this season, which is six fewer than the Memphis Grizzlies, their main pursuer. They managed to beat them just recently in a head-to-head match (125:112). In the last quarter, Oklahoma allowed eight points to be recovered, reducing their scoring. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was once again the most active player (32 points). Aaron Wiggins closely followed, despite having an average of less than 11 points per season. This victory marked the fifth consecutive win for the Thunder. However, the team has some losses. The most significant is Luguentz Dort, who is strong in defense. It is worth noting that Chet Holmgren has recovered, but after an injury, he is unlikely to be heavily loaded.

New Orleans Pelicans

New Orleans had a good stretch in January, winning five out of six games. The team even left the last place in the Western Conference, but it turned out to be short-lived. They suffered eight consecutive losses and then threw in the towel by trading Brandon Ingram to Toronto. In return, they received Bruce Brown and Kelly Olynyk plus two draft picks. Both newcomers have not yet debuted for New Orleans, which is why they lost to the Sacramento Kings without them (118:123). Zion Williamson played excellently (40 points), with C.J. McCollum adding another 31. It is worth noting that Dejounte Murray and Herbert Jones, important players in the Pelicans' rotation, will not play in the upcoming game.

Match Prediction

The favorite for the upcoming game is Oklahoma. They will likely establish a comfortable lead in the first half. In the third quarter, leaders will still take to the court, but in the last 12 minutes, expect mostly reserves. In such a situation, New Orleans can reduce the gap, but a high total from them is not expected. The Pelicans have scored no more than 109 points in six consecutive head-to-head matches. They have already played at the Paycom Center this season and scored only 88 points. Therefore, as a key bet, we suggest total for visitors under 109.5.