1. Game Overview
The Los Angeles Lakers travel to face the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday, January 6, 2026. The game is scheduled for an 8:10 PM EST tip-off at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. According to local broadcast schedules, the game will air live on television and can be streamed online, with coverage starting at 7:00 PM CT.
2. Team Form and Analysis
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers enter this contest with a strong 22-11 record, including an impressive 12-5 mark on the road. The team is coming off a 120-114 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies and has posted a 5-5 record in their last 10 games, averaging 114.9 points per contest during that span. A key contributor has been LeBron James, who recently posted a stat line of 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 10 assists. The Lakers have played in many high-scoring affairs this season, holding an over/under record of 21-12. While they have a winning record, their average margin of victory is exactly 0.0, indicating they have played in numerous close games.
New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans are navigating a difficult season, holding an 8-29 record. Their struggles have been particularly pronounced at home, where they are 6-16. The team’s performance has been hampered by a defense that contributes to a-8.0 average margin of victory, one of the worst in the league. Despite their poor straight-up record, their games at the Smoothie King Center have often been high-scoring, with the over hitting in 14 of their 22 home contests. Without key players in the lineup, the team has relied on contributions from across the roster, but has failed to find consistent success.
3. Injury Report
The Los Angeles Lakers will be without two key rotation players. Guard Austin Reaves has been ruled out for the contest, and forward Rui Hachimura is also out with a calf issue but is reportedly targeting a return for the team’s next game.
The New Orleans Pelicans continue to be without multiple key frontcourt players. Power forward Zion Williamson (thigh) and power forward Larry Nance Jr. (calf) are not expected to be available for this matchup.
4. ATS Trends
The Los Angeles Lakers have a solid record against the spread (ATS), posting a 19-14-0 record for a 57.6% cover rate. However, they have an ATS margin of -2.3, suggesting they underperform the betting line by an average of 2.3 points per game. They are 10-7 ATS in road games.
The New Orleans Pelicans have been one of the league’s more surprising teams against the spread, despite their on-court struggles. They hold a 20-16-1 ATS record, covering 55.6% of the time. Their performance is even more notable at home, where they are 13-8-1 ATS. Their overall ATS margin is -0.6, indicating they perform very close to market expectations.
5. Betting Odds Breakdown
- Point Spread: The Lakers are 5-point favorites (-5). This means for a bet on the Lakers to win, they must win the game by more than 5 points. The Pelicans are 5-point underdogs (+5), and can lose by up to 4 points or win the game outright for a bet on them to be successful.
- Total (Over/Under): The game total is set at 240.5 points. Bettors can wager on whether the combined final score of both teams will be over or under this number.
- Moneyline: The moneyline odds are not provided, but the Lakers would be listed as the favorite (e.g., -200) and the Pelicans as the underdog (e.g., +170). A moneyline bet is a straightforward wager on which team will win the game.
6. Prediction
The Lakers’ path to victory is clear: leverage their significant talent advantage and strong road performance (12-5) against a struggling Pelicans team. Even without Reaves and Hachimura, the Lakers have the offensive firepower to control the game against a New Orleans squad with an 8-29 record and a -8.0 average margin of victory.
However, the Pelicans’ path to a successful outcome for bettors lies in covering the spread. New Orleans has been remarkably effective against the spread at home, with a 13-8-1 ATS record. Conversely, the Lakers have an ATS margin of -2.3, showing a tendency to win games by narrower margins than projected. With the Lakers missing two important players and the spread set at a manageable 5 points, the data points toward a competitive game.
While a Lakers victory is the most probable outcome, the Pelicans have consistently outperformed expectations at home. I predict the Lakers will win the game, but the Pelicans will cover the +5 spread.
Prediction: Los Angeles Lakers 121, New Orleans Pelicans 118
Sources:
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