The long and winding NBA regular season is finally over, but before you enjoy the playoffs as your main course, first whet your appetite with the play-in tournament.
The Western Conference opens Tuesday with the seventh-seeded Pelicans hosting the eighth-seeded Lakers and the ninth-seeded Kings hosting the 10th-ranked Warriors.
Get ready with a quick preview of each of Tuesday’s Western Conference games, as well as some key insights bettors need to know.
Lakers vs. Pelicans predictions
| team | spread | money line | total |
|---|---|---|---|
| lakers | +1.5 (-120) | -105 | o224.5 (-110) |
| pelicans | -1.5 (+100) | -115 | u224.5 (-110) |
The Lakers, who beat the Pelicans 124-108 in New Orleans on the final day of the regular season, could clinch the No. 7 seed with a win Tuesday night.
Los Angeles is 3-1 in the season series, winning all three games by double-digit margins.
Playing at home might not work in the Pelicans’ favor, as they are 21-19 in this spot and 28-14 on the road.
If you like the Lakers, you’ll want to bet on them sooner rather than later, as they’re likely to be the favorites in this matchup.
As of this writing, only FanDuel is listed as a favorite (-1). All other sportsbooks have them listed as 1-1.5 underdogs.
I’m leaning toward betting on the Lakers.
Recommendation: Lakers +1.5 (-120, BetMGM)
Warriors vs. Kings predictions
| team | spread | money line | total |
|---|---|---|---|
| warriors | -2.5 (-110) | -145 | o223.5 (-110) |
| kings | +2.5 (-110) | +120 | u223.5 (-110) |
Although the Warriors are the visiting team, they opened the season as one-point favorites and are currently ranked high at -3 on the market.
They won the first two games during the regular season, and the Kings won the next two games to earn a split in the series.
However, the last time the two sides met was on January 25th, when the Warriors were 19-23 and the Kings 25-18.
Since then, Golden State has gone 27-13 to Sacramento’s 21-18.
The Kings are without two key players due to injuries. Starting pitcher Kevin Huerter (shoulder) is out for the rest of the season, and Malik Monk (knee) won’t be back until mid-May even if Sacramento makes it that far.
Would you like to bet on the NBA?
The Kings finished the season with just 4 wins and 6 losses in their final 10 games, while Golden State finished the season with 8 wins and 2 losses.
It’s worth noting that the road favorites for the play-in tournament are 2-0 against the spread.
