The Oklahoma City Thunder are one game away from a sweep in the first round of the NBA playoffs, as they’ll look to close out the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night.
New Orleans kept things close in Game 1, but since then it’s been all OKC, as the No. 1 seed in the West is showing that the regular season was far from a fluke.
With Zion Williamson out, the Pelicans are going to be in a tough spot to find offense, especially with Brandon Ingram yet to score 20 points in a single game in this series.
OKC could become the second team in the West to advance to the second round after the Minnesota Timberwolves completed their sweep of the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night.
If you’re looking to bet on any game in the NBA playoffs, FanDuel Sportsbook has an amazing promotional offer. New users who sign up with the link below and wager $5 will receive $150 in bonus bets!
Sign up for FanDuel now!
Here’s a look at the latest odds, key players and my best bet for Game 4 of this first-round matchup:
Thunder vs. Pelicans odds, spread and total
Thunder vs. Pelicans how to watch
- Date: Monday, April 29
- Time: 8:30 p.m. EST
- Venue: Smooth King Center
- How to watch (TV): NBA TV
- Series: Thunder lead 3-0
Thunder vs. Pelicans injury reports
Thunder injury report
- None to report
Pelicans injury report
- Jeremiah Robinson-Earl – questionable
- Zion Williamson – out
- Cody Zeller – available
Thunder vs. Pelicans key players to watch
Oklahoma City Thunder
Lu Dort: Lu Dort deserves a ton of credit in this series, as he’s shadowed Brandon Ingram, and done a great job, to get the Thunder out to a 3-0 start. Dort is also shooting the lights out from 3, going 10-for-18 from beyond the arc in the first three games of this series. He’s the unsung hero of this young Thunder team.
New Orleans Pelicans
Trey Murphy III: After a big Game 1, Trey Murphy III has disappeared for the Pelicans, shooting just 7-for-20 from the field and scoring 18 total points over the last two games. With Zion Williamson out and OKC looking to take away Ingram, Murphy and CJ McCollum have to step up on offense for the Pels to force a Game 5.
Thunder vs. Pelicans prediction and pick
One of the biggest concerns with New Orleans all season was the team's struggles at home, as it went just 21-19 straight up at Smoothie King Center, one of the worst marks of a playoff team at home.
The Pels also struggled as home dogs, going just 6-6 against the spread.
Without Williamson, it’s become evident that the team lacks the offensive firepower to keep up with this Thunder team, which has now won back-to-back games by 20-plus points while holding the Pels to 92 or fewer points in each game in his series.
The Thunder were No. 2 in the NBA in net rating during the regular season and No. 4 in defensive rating, outranking a solid Pels defense that clocked in at No. 6 in the league.
Given OKC’s momentum and health, I have to take the team to cover this short spread and advance to the second round on Monday night.
Pick: Thunder -4.5 (-110)
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.