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Lakers vs Pelicans Picks and Predictions – Tuesday January 6, 2026
The Lakers hit the road Tuesday night riding real momentum after back-to-back wins over Memphis, and the timing matters. With Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura both sidelined again, Los Angeles has had to find offense outside the stars, and Jake LaRavia has filled that role with a clean two-way impact that travels.
New Orleans is in a different kind of spot. The Pelicans have dropped seven straight, turnovers have been the recurring leak, and the margin has been getting away from them early. The one positive is Trey Murphy III continuing to stretch defenses, but they’re asking him to create efficient looks while the offense is still coughing up possessions.
Tip is set for 8:00 p.m. ET at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. Spectrum SportsNet has the local broadcast, with streaming options depending on market.
Los Angeles Lakers vs New Orleans Pelicans Odds
These are the current betting lines, and bettors should keep an eye on the latest NBA odds as injury updates and market pressure can move this number quickly.
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Lakers | -218 | -5.5 | O 241.5 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | +182 | +5.5 | U 241.5 |
Los Angeles Lakers Betting Form
Los Angeles is winning with a simple formula right now: elite creation at the top, and enough defensive activity to keep games from turning into track meets. Luka Doncic and LeBron James are bending coverages every trip, and that’s where LaRavia’s value shows up. When defenses load up, the Lakers need a third and fourth option who can make the next pass, finish without over-dribbling, and defend without fouling. LaRavia has been doing all three, and it’s why his minutes have become steady even when the shot isn’t falling.
The key betting question is how the Lakers score when the game slows down. Without Reaves and Hachimura, you lose a lot of connective offense and catch-and-shoot reliability. That can show up as short droughts, especially on the road. Still, this matchup is favorable if the Lakers keep their turnover count reasonable and stay committed to defending the paint without overhelping.
For deeper team splits and recent game logs, here are the Los Angeles Lakers stats and results. And with multiple rotation pieces in flux, the linked Los Angeles Lakers injury report matters before you finalize any position.
New Orleans Pelicans Betting Form
New Orleans is losing games in the easiest way to lose as a dog: empty possessions. The turnovers aren’t all the same, either. Some are live-ball mistakes that turn into runouts, and some are bad decisions at the rim that turn into instant transition the other way. Either way, it’s killing their ability to control pace, and it’s inflating opponent efficiency without the defense even getting set.
Murphy has been the one consistent spacing threat, and his volume from deep is giving them a puncher’s chance when the offense is struggling. But the rest of the roster has to help him by winning the non-glamorous parts: defensive rebounds, protecting the ball, and getting something out of the half-court actions when the first option is taken away. If Herb Jones is limited or out, the defensive matchup problem gets bigger because the Pelicans lose a top option for chasing wings and cleaning up broken possessions.
For matchup context and recent results, use the New Orleans Pelicans schedule and stats. Then confirm availability with the linked New Orleans Pelicans injury report, because New Orleans’ spread value swings sharply depending on who can defend at the point of attack.
Los Angeles Lakers vs New Orleans Pelicans Matchup Breakdown
This game starts with shot quality. The Lakers want to create paint touches, collapse the defense, and punish help with clean kick-outs. The Pelicans have to decide how much they’re willing to send at Doncic and LeBron, because if they overcommit, LaRavia and the role players get exactly the kind of catch-and-go opportunities that keep an offense efficient even without full health.
On the other side, New Orleans needs to keep the game from becoming a turnover tax. The Lakers are not a perfect defense, but they’ve been more disruptive lately, and that’s where New Orleans has been fragile. If the Pelicans can simply get organized shots and force Los Angeles to defend multiple actions per possession, that’s the path to staying inside the number.
Pace is the total conversation. A 241.5 implies possessions, transition, and late-game fouling. If the Pelicans play sloppy and turn it over, the over is live because it creates free points. If they protect the ball and the Lakers walk it up more often, the under becomes more reasonable, especially if Los Angeles has any fatigue legs with this being the start of a road back-to-back.
Environment is stable here. Indoors at Smoothie King Center means no weather variables, no wind on jumpers, no external noise for the total. It’s about execution and whistle. If you’re evaluating how late-game variance and foul rate can swing totals, the expert betting guide is useful framing for nights like this.
Los Angeles Lakers vs New Orleans Pelicans Predictions and Best Bets
My lean is Lakers -5.5. The matchup lines up for Los Angeles because New Orleans is struggling to string together clean possessions, and that’s the one thing you can’t do against two elite creators who will take the same mistakes and turn them into high-value shots. Even with key starters out, the Lakers can still generate efficient offense as long as they don’t get careless with the ball.
I’m not eager to lay a heavy moneyline price on the road when the Lakers are missing rotation pieces, but the spread is a better way to express the edge. It allows for some variance in shooting while still capturing the fact that Los Angeles can win this game without playing a perfect 48.
The total is the tougher market. 241.5 is a number that can look wrong if either team plays disciplined half-court basketball. But it can also get there fast if New Orleans’ turnovers turn into runouts and if the fourth quarter turns into a parade of free throws. I slightly prefer the side to the total because the Pelicans’ floor right now is too low, especially if their defenders are limited.
Best Bet: Los Angeles Lakers -5.5
NBA Picks and Handicappers on ScoresAndStats
If you’re betting the NBA nightly, the advantage usually comes from tracking line movement, knowing which injuries actually change possessions, and being willing to pass when the market gets sharp. The NBA picks page is a good starting point to compare opinions and see where consensus is forming.
For accountability, follow the leaders on the best handicappers hub and check the handicapper leaderboard to see who’s producing right now, not who had a good month weeks ago. If you want premium selections packaged with tighter intent, you can access them through buy picks. And if you’re building matchup context fast, bounce between the NBA previews hub and the NBA teams hub to keep team-level trends and game-specific angles connected.
