Los Angeles Lakers vs New Orleans Pelicans Prediction & Picks - NBA

Prediction published on 11/14/25, 4:48 PM  by Erik Gibbs in NBA Picks

The Los Angeles Lakers head into tonight's matchup at the Smoothie King Center looking to reset after a rough outing against Oklahoma City, and the circumstances seem favorable for a rebound. Despite Wednesday's lopsided loss, the Lakers have quietly built solid momentum over the past two weeks, winning six of their last eight and showing improved balance on both ends. Even without LeBron James and Gabe Vincent, Los Angeles has leaned on structured half-court offense, better ball movement, and an active defensive presence to stay afloat. Luka Doncic continues to be the stabilizing force, and even in limited minutes against the Thunder he managed 19 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, once again proving he can control the game's rhythm even when the team struggles.

New Orleans enters with far less stability. At 2-9, the Pelicans own the worst record in the Western Conference and are stuck in a three-game skid marked by defensive lapses and inconsistent scoring. Allowing 121.6 points per game has put them near the bottom of the league in defensive efficiency, and that lack of resistance has become a defining theme. Their most recent loss to Portland highlighted the same problems: too many uncontested looks, too little rim protection, and offensive stretches where the group struggled to create clean opportunities. Rookie Derik Queen provided a bright spot with 26 points on highly efficient shooting, but New Orleans rarely sustains enough flow to support individual scoring bursts.

Matchup history also leans heavily toward Los Angeles. The Lakers have taken nine of the last ten meetings and have covered the spread in seven of those games, consistently exploiting the Pelicans' shaky perimeter defense and turnover issues.