The NEW ORLEANS and the OKLAHOMA CITY will both be gunning for a victory on 11/5/2018 at 8:05 PM when they meet in a game matchup.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS vs OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
When: 8:00 PM ET, Monday, November 5, 2018
Where:Â Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
| ROT | TEAM | PS | OU | ML |
| 509 | NEW ORLEANS | -3.5 (-110) | 236 (-110) | 145 -165 |
| 510 | OKLAHOMA CITY |
TV: 8:05 PM
LINE: -3.5
PREDICTION: OKLAHOMA CITY , NEW ORLEANS
Oddsmakers currently have the OKLAHOMA CITY listed as -3.5 point favorites versus the NEW ORLEANS, while the game’s total is sitting at 236.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are finding their groove just as the New Orleans Pelicans are hitting a rut. The Thunder will try to earn their fifth consecutive win and hand the Pelicans a sixth straight loss when the teams meet in Oklahoma City on Monday.
New Orleans won its first four games before hitting the skid and is trying to salvage the finale of a five-game road trip after falling at fellow Western Conference contenders Denver, Golden State, Portland and San Antonio. “We’ve got to play better,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry told reporters. “It’s that simple. There is no secret formula. We’ve got to do a better job of protecting the ball. We’ve got to stay within what we’re supposed to do from a game plan standpoint, and we have to execute.” The Thunder are moving in the opposite direction with their winning streak coming after four consecutive losses to begin the campaign. Oklahoma City put together its best offensive game of the young season on Friday at Washington, when it shot 57 percent from the floor and rolled to a 134-111 victory.
TV:Â 8 p.m. ET, NBATV, FS New Orleans, FS Oklahoma
ABOUT THE PELICANS (4-5): New Orleans’ 120.6 points allowed ranks 29th in the NBA and that number jumped to 124 during the five-game slide. “We’re not playing defense, we’re not guarding anybody, we’re making the game hard on ourselves,” Pelicans star forward Anthony Davis told reporters. “It shouldn’t be this easy. It’s hard to score buckets in there and it’s so easy for them on the other end. We’re not physical. We’re not stopping anybody one-on-one. We’re just not playing basketball. We need to go back to the basics of guarding your man.” Davis played in only two of the last five games due to an elbow injury but logged 40 minutes on Saturday and is probable for Monday.
ABOUT THE THUNDER (4-4):Â Oklahoma City is forcing an NBA-best 18 turnovers and forced the Wizards into 19 miscues on Friday, leading to 26 points. “I’m seeing a cohesive team effort that has really been contagious,” center Nerlens Noel told the team’s website. “We’ve really been putting a lot of effort and energy into the defense end, being able to guard the ball one on one, switching off into pick and rolls and just communicating. I think every day from game to game, practice to practice, guys have just been building on it and building an identity within ourselves.” Star point guard Russell Westbrook is turning up his effort on the defensive end and recorded at least three steals in each of the last four contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Pelicans PG Elfrid Payton (ankle) sat out the last four games and is questionable for Monday.
2. Thunder PF Jerami Grant scored a season-high 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting Friday and is averaging 14.5 during the four-game winning streak.
3. New Orleans took two of the three meetings last season, including a 109-104 win at Oklahoma City on April 1.
PREDICTION:Â Thunder 123, Pelicans 119
| Tony’s Pick | TEAM |
| OKLAHOMA CITY | -165 |
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