The Oklahoma City Thunder are very familiar with the New Orleans Pelicans. In 2023, the Thunder made a statment knocking the Pelicans out of the play-in tournament. In 2024, Oklahoma City put an exclamation point on its arrival with a sweep of the Pelicans in the first round.

These two teams have been battling for a long time, this season the Thunder already hold a 1-0 season-series edge. Though, that isn’t something to write home about as the New Orleans Pelicans resemble a M.A.S.H. unit more than a basketball team at the moment.

The Thunder have a massive talent edge in this contest, and there just are not enough avenues for New Orleans to make up the difference.

The Pelicans shaky guard rotation plays into the hands of Oklahoma City’s suffocating defense that forces more turnovers than anyone in the league. New Orleans’s lone scoring punch, Brandon Ingram, ha a silent night against Lu Dort every matchup. The Thunder have bolstered their rebounding woes since Hartenstein’s return.

In this game, the Thunder should be the windshield and the Pelicans should be the bug.

The Bet: Thunder -8

The Record: 13-8-1

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER

Want to join the discussion? Like Thunder on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.