Pelicans vs. Thunder Game 4 Betting Preview, Odds, How To Watch

The absence of Zion Williamson was always going to make it tough for the No. 8 seed New Orleans Pelicans to compete with the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder, but there were not many who predicted Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company to get a clean sweep in their first playoff experience. However, with Game 4 on Monday and the Thunder up 3-0, it looks like that’s exactly what’s going to happen.

New Orleans Pelicans vs. Oklahoma City Thunder NBA 1st Round Game 4 Betting Odds

All odds provided by Sports Interaction.

When to Watch and How to Watch Pelicans vs. Thunder Game 4

Game 4 of the Western Conference’s No. 8 vs. No. 1 first round playoff matchup between the New Orleans Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder will take place in New Orleans at the Smoothie King Center on Monday, April 29 at a time that is TBD. Canadian NBA fans can watch the action on TSN or Sportsnet.

Pelicans vs. Thunder Game 4 Point Spread Betting Preview

This series is one of those “what could have been” propositions, because New Orleans’ best player, Zion Williamson, has been unable to participate, and in his 40-piece in the play-in tournament, he finally looked like the unstoppable force everyone was expecting coming out of college.

Unfortunately, right as he was about to prove his potential, he went down with yet another injury, and his supporting cast has been decidedly poor in his stead. Brandon Ingram has really struggled to find his rhythm while being guarded by Lu Dort, who is a little bit shorter but a whole lot stronger, not to mention quick.

Ingram hasn’t touched 20 points in a game yet in this series, and he failed to hit a three-pointer in two of those contests. C.J. McCollum has been even worse, which is worrisome considering he’s the veteran with the most playoff experience. He hasn’t shot better than 43 percent in a game yet, and his 17.0 points per game are lower than his regular season mark.

A few ancillary pieces have played well for the Pelicans (more on them in a second), but that’s obviously nowhere near enough if Ingram and McCollum aren’t doing their part. On the other hand, the Thunder are getting elite play from SGA and Holmgren as well as the supporting cast.

With Dort frustrating Ingram and McCollum struggling, the Pelicans don’t have much of a chance anyway, but SGA has ensured that by averaging 28 points on 50 percent shooting from the field. He may not win the MVP this year, but he is definitely the real deal.

The Pelicans just seem like a team going through the motions recently. They look like a team that’s given up on their chances to win this series, and we feel the same way, which is why we’re recommending the -4.5 spread at -110 odds being offered for OKC by sports betting sites.

Here are a few more NBA betting trends that pushed us to this conclusion:

• OKC is 48-36-1 ATS this year, the fourth best mark in the NBA
• The Pelicans have struggled at home this year, posting a 21-22 ATS mark in their gym
• New Orleans was just 6-6 ATS as the home underdog
• OKC was 35-24 ATS after a win this season, the third-best such record in the league
• The Thunder are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games, including the last two straight
• OKC is 4-2 ATS against the Pels this year

Best Pelicans vs. Thunder Game 4 Player Props

Gilgeous-Alexander had just 24 in the last game, so we expect him to bounce back with another strong showing to close out the series and stamp himself as a true NBA closer. While he was scoring a little bit less to finish the regular seasons, there haven’t been many back-to-back sub-30-point games for the MVP hopeful this year. Roll with the over here.

On the other side, one of the few bright spots for the Pels has been Trey Murphy III. The slasher was great in Game 1 but saw less of the ball in the last two contests, something we expect head coach Willie Green to rectify on Monday. Apart from Game 2 and 3, Murphy has failed to score 15 in back-to-back games just once since the start of March.  His 14.5 number is more than reasonable here, especially considering Ingram and McCollum’s struggles.