Our Thunder vs. Pelicans aren't so sure OKC will be eager to cover this massive 17.5-point spread.
A line of -17.5 seems more suited for an early-season college basketball cupcake game than an NBA tilt. However, if any two teams in the Association have earned that degree of separation, it’s the Oklahoma City Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans.
OKC is the defending champion and is 13-1 on the season. New Orleans is 2-11 and has already fired its coach. Will the Thunder cover the huge line on the road? There’s no question that they could, but “should” is another issue entirely. OKC could use Monday’s sure thing to rest up while cruising to victory. MyOklahoma City has also covered three double-digit lines in the last 10 games, although they failed to cover a 17-point spread at Charlotte last time out, only winning by 13. New Orleans, meanwhile, is just 2-3 when getting double-digit points in the last 10 games, failing to cover 10.5 last time out against Golden State. That Warriors game was the first with interim coach James Borrego at the helm. The veteran NBA head coach has vowed a commitment to defense in New Orleans, and the Pelicans responded, holding Steph Curry to nine points on 2-for-11 shooting. The rest of Golden State lit things up, however. A defensive focus may mean slowing things down. Both teams play in the Bottom 10 in the league in pace as it is. That could put the big spread in jeopardy. OKC coach Mark Daigneault also reminded his team of the need to play defense midway through the Charlotte game. The Thunder has won five in a row, despite missing several injured rotation players, including Jalen Williams and Aaron Wiggins. Shooting guard Alex Caruso has also been added to the injury list with a hand problem after being limited to just two minutes against Charlotte in the last game. With a big early lead and both teams looking to slow things down and focus on defense, the Thunder should be free to give defending MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander some time off in the second half. All of that translates to a final score that doesn’t accurately display the difference between the two teams. Look for New Orleans to cover. The same factors pushing this game toward a New Orleans cover also have it looking like an Under. Defensive effort means fewer points, and even though New Orleans has been shaky on defense, it should still produce a lower score than usual. OKC has gone Under in four of its last five, as well as its previous three when favored by double-digits. You don’t change coaches to keep doing things the same way, and, one game in, James Borrego is already changing the playing rotation.appears to be a beneficiary. He played 25 minutes against Golden State, the most playing time he’s gotten in six games and his second-most this season. He also got a season-high 12 shots and matched a season high with 18 points.This prop seems like a bit of a risk. Trey Murphy has been New Orleans’ top scoring option with Zion Williamson out. He’s topped 20 points in his last five games, averaging 27.8 over that span. There are red flags on the horizon, however. Borrego is testing out new combinations, increasing Alvarado’s minutes and giving rookie Derik Queen his first NBA start. Murphy appears to be on the wrong end of that experimentation. His minutes fell from nearly 39 in Willie Green’s last game as coach to 31 in Borrego’s first, his lowest playing time of the season. His shots also fell from 21 to 13, matching his lowest since before Halloween. The Pelicans have won just 19 of their last 81 games, while OKC has won 82 of its last 100. Find more: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links. Since quitting his job as bank assistant vice-president in 2000, Shawn has covered Final Fours, Super Bowls, World Series games and title fights in boxing and UFC. His work has appeared on ESPN, MLB.com, Sports Illustrated and dozens of other outlets. His book,UMass vs Ohio Prediction, Picks & Odds for November 18 — College Football Week 13Best NBA Player Props Today for November 17: Duren DominationBest NBA Player Props Today for November 16: Giddey Stuffs Stat SheetCopyright © 1995 - 2025 CS Media Limited All Rights Reserved. If you choose to make use of any information on this website including online sports betting services from any websites that may be featured on this website, we strongly recommend that you carefully check your local laws before doing so.It is your sole responsibility to understand your local laws and observe them strictly.Covers does not provide any advice or guidance as to the legality of online sports betting or other online gambling activities within your jurisdiction and you are responsible for complying with laws that are applicable to you in your relevant locality.Covers disclaims all liability associated with your use of this website and use of any information contained on it.As a condition of using this website, you agree to hold the owner of this website harmless from any claims arising from your use of any services on any third party website that may be featured by Covers.
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