Pelicans vs Thunder Prediction, Odds & Game Preview 4/13/2025

The Oklahoma City Thunder roll into New Orleans' Smoothie King Center tomorrow looking to cap their historic 67-win season with a fourth straight victory against the bottom-dwelling Pelicans, who've dropped six consecutive games and haven't found answers all year against OKC's league-leading defense.

With most starters likely resting before the playoffs begin, Oklahoma City's bench has shown they're no pushover - dropping 145 points on Utah without their stars - while the Pelicans' defensive woes continue, surrendering 136+ points per game in their last three contests.

The final regular season matchup between the New Orleans Pelicans vs Oklahoma City Thunder promises plenty of scoring opportunities, as their previous two meetings breezed past the projected total despite the massive talent disparity between the teams.

At Sporting Post, our unique prediction model brings together insights from top NBA experts.

Instead of searching through countless expert analyses online, you can rely on our predictions to capture the market's overall sentiment. We scan trusted sources, analyzing expert picks, data, and trends, while our AI assigns a confidence level to each prediction. These confidence levels are then averaged to generate an 'expert opinion' win probability—providing a data-driven reflection of the collective intelligence of the industry's leading NBA analysts.

Best NBA sportsbook promos

New Orleans Pelicans vs. Oklahoma City Thunder preview

The Thunder roll into the Smoothie King Center with some serious momentum, having won three straight games and looking to complete a season sweep of the struggling Pelicans this Sunday afternoon.

OKC has been absolutely crushing it on both ends of the floor, setting a franchise record for wins (67) while boasting the league's best defensive efficiency and averaging a potent 120.6 points per game.

While the Thunder's injury report is packed with questionable statuses for stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren, they've proven their depth is no joke - just ask Utah, who got dismantled by 34 points without facing OKC's starters.

New Orleans, meanwhile, is limping to the finish line on a six-game skid, surrendering a whopping 136 points per game during their last three losses while shooting just 43% from the field.

The history between these squads heavily favors Oklahoma City, who've taken nine of their last ten against the Pelicans and lead this season's series 3-0.

What's particularly concerning for Pelicans fans is their team's defensive woes – they rank 29th in defensive efficiency and have allowed opponents to shoot a blistering 53% in recent games.

Look for Thunder reserves Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe to potentially have another big day after dropping 35 and 32 points respectively in their last outing.

Even with playoff positioning locked up, I can't see the Thunder taking their foot off the gas in this one – their bench has proven too strong for a depleted Pelicans squad that's given up on the season.

Key stats

1

The Thunder lead the Western Conference with a 67-14 record while the Pelicans sit at 14th place with just 21-60

2

OKC has a strong point differential of +1040 compared to New Orleans' dismal -758

3

Thunder showing inconsistent form with WWWLL in recent games while Pelicans are on a five-game losing streak (LLLLL)

4

Oklahoma City averages 120.6 points per game while New Orleans allows 119.3 points per game, suggesting a potential scoring mismatch

Betting on the NBA?