The Oklahoma City Thunder roll into New Orleans' Smoothie King Center tomorrow looking to cap their historic 67-win season with a fourth straight victory against the bottom-dwelling Pelicans, who've dropped six consecutive games and haven't found answers all year against OKC's league-leading defense.
With most starters likely resting before the playoffs begin, Oklahoma City's bench has shown they're no pushover - dropping 145 points on Utah without their stars - while the Pelicans' defensive woes continue, surrendering 136+ points per game in their last three contests.
The final regular season matchup between the New Orleans Pelicans vs Oklahoma City Thunder promises plenty of scoring opportunities, as their previous two meetings breezed past the projected total despite the massive talent disparity between the teams.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Oklahoma City Thunder prediction: who will win?
For tonight's New Orleans Pelicans vs Oklahoma City Thunder matchup, our predictive model gives the Thunder a 82.67% chance of defeating the Pelicans.
Oklahoma City Thunder: 82.67% win probability
- League-leading record (67-14, best in Western Conference)
- Exceptional point differential (+1040, averaging +12.8 points per game)
- Superior road performance (as indicated by their #1 position despite playing equal games to competitors)
New Orleans Pelicans: 17.33% win probability
- Poor overall record (21-60, 14th in Western Conference)
- Significant negative point differential (-758, second-worst in the West)
- Current losing streak (LLLLL in recent form, showing no momentum heading into this matchup)
At Sporting Post, our unique prediction model brings together insights from top NBA experts. Instead of searching through countless expert analyses online, you can rely on our predictions to capture the market's overall sentiment. We scan trusted sources, analyzing expert picks, data, and trends, while our AI assigns a confidence level to each prediction. These confidence levels are then averaged to generate an 'expert opinion' win probability—providing a data-driven reflection of the collective intelligence of the industry's leading NBA analysts.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Oklahoma City Thunder odds
Here are the current odds for the NBA matchup on Sunday, April 13, as the New Orleans Pelicans host the Oklahoma City Thunder in what promises to be an exciting basketball showdown.
| New Orleans Pelicans | Oklahoma City Thunder | |
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | +550 (via DraftKings Sportsbook) | -670 (via FanDuel Sportsbook) |
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New Orleans Pelicans vs. Oklahoma City Thunder preview
The Thunder roll into the Smoothie King Center with some serious momentum, having won three straight games and looking to complete a season sweep of the struggling Pelicans this Sunday afternoon.
OKC has been absolutely crushing it on both ends of the floor, setting a franchise record for wins (67) while boasting the league's best defensive efficiency and averaging a potent 120.6 points per game.
While the Thunder's injury report is packed with questionable statuses for stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren, they've proven their depth is no joke - just ask Utah, who got dismantled by 34 points without facing OKC's starters.
New Orleans, meanwhile, is limping to the finish line on a six-game skid, surrendering a whopping 136 points per game during their last three losses while shooting just 43% from the field.
The history between these squads heavily favors Oklahoma City, who've taken nine of their last ten against the Pelicans and lead this season's series 3-0.
What's particularly concerning for Pelicans fans is their team's defensive woes – they rank 29th in defensive efficiency and have allowed opponents to shoot a blistering 53% in recent games.
Look for Thunder reserves Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe to potentially have another big day after dropping 35 and 32 points respectively in their last outing.
Even with playoff positioning locked up, I can't see the Thunder taking their foot off the gas in this one – their bench has proven too strong for a depleted Pelicans squad that's given up on the season.
Key stats
- 1The Thunder lead the Western Conference with a 67-14 record while the Pelicans sit at 14th place with just 21-60
- 2OKC has a strong point differential of +1040 compared to New Orleans' dismal -758
- 3Thunder showing inconsistent form with WWWLL in recent games while Pelicans are on a five-game losing streak (LLLLL)
- 4Oklahoma City averages 120.6 points per game while New Orleans allows 119.3 points per game, suggesting a potential scoring mismatch
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Oklahoma City Thunder form
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Oklahoma City Thunder head to head
New Orleans Pelicans
40%
Oklahoma City Thunder
60%
Apr 13, 2025
New Orleans Pelicans
0 : 0
Oklahoma City Thunder
Feb 11, 2025
Oklahoma City Thunder
137 : 101
New Orleans Pelicans
Dec 8, 2024
New Orleans Pelicans
109 : 119
Oklahoma City Thunder
Nov 14, 2024
Oklahoma City Thunder
106 : 88
New Orleans Pelicans
Apr 30, 2024
New Orleans Pelicans
89 : 97
Oklahoma City Thunder
Apr 27, 2024
New Orleans Pelicans
85 : 106
Oklahoma City Thunder
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