Will the visitors book the playoffs?

Only a win counts in the decisive game in the play-in tournament in the West between the New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings! What’s the prediction for the showdown? The hosts recently missed their first match point in terms of postseason participation

In the game for seventh place, they lost to the LA Lakers, who once again proved their nerves of steel in the play-in tournament. For their part, the visitors were able to take revenge on the Golden State Warriors for last year’s play-off defeat and at the same time secure the final against the Pels for a return to the 2024 NBA postseason.

For the game between the New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings, the betting tip is aimed at another success for the visitors. You can find the odds at NEObet. The bookmaker is currently not only offering a bonus for new customers, but also a €10 betting credit for this group of people!

New Orleans Pelicans – Statistics & current form

NOLA must first regroup after the defeat against the Lakers. After losing to the Californians on the last matchday of the regular season, coach Willie Green’s squad was also unable to secure a win in the latest encounter.

CJ McCollum, who had previously been in good form, was disappointing. However, his nerves failed him in the particularly important game against the Lakers. Just nine points was an underground scoring output for him. He missed no fewer than eleven of his 15 attempts from the field.

Big question mark behind Williamson

Now, however, it will probably once again depend primarily on him in offense, as Zion Williamson’s deployment is in jeopardy. The center celebrated his “half” postseason debut against the Lakers and did so in terrific form. With 40 points, Williamson was clearly the top scorer on court at the Smoothie King Center, but he had to go to the dressing room early at the end of the final quarter due to an injury.

Whether he will be able to play against the Kings is still very much in doubt. With this in mind, the betting tip and odds on an away win with at least a three-point lead in the clash between the New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings are also worth considering

Sacramento Kings – Statistics & current form

The Californians qualified for the playoffs again last year for the first time in more than a decade, in 16 years to be precise, but were narrowly beaten by the Warriors in the first round by 3-4 in the series.

Now they successfully took their revenge: they beat the six-time champions 118:94 and sent the Warriors into a final personnel upheaval. The era of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, who won four NBA titles between 2015 and 2022, has finally come to an end after this game.

The latter “Splash Brother” in particular was well defended by the Kings. Thompson didn’t score a single point despite making ten attempts from the field in the final game against the Kings!

No more than 109 points by the Pelicans?

In defense, Keon Ellis was also very strong and made life difficult for Curry. It’s easy to see why the “chef” had to settle for just 22 points. Against the backdrop of the visitors’ convincing defensive work of late, the prediction of a maximum of 109 points by the home side in the game between New Orleans and Sacramento is also a recommendation

New Orleans Pelicans – Sacramento Kings Head-to-head comparison / H2H record

The teams have already faced each other twice this year. In the process, the Pels earned two away victories in Sactown! Thanks to the two victories, they have a current streak of five triumphs in this pairing

New Orleans Pelicans – Sacramento Kings Tip

The prediction for the deciding game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Sacramento Kings is an away win. Coach Mike Brown’s visiting team will be euphoric after their recent strong win against the Warriors, while the home side have already lost to the Lakers at home.

The defeat fits into the picture of an already comparatively weak home team. The Pels only won just under 53 per cent of their home games in the regular season and their weakness at home has recently become even more pronounced.

The Pels have lost all six encounters in front of their own fans. The hosts are also worried about their top center Zion Williamson, who was injured in the last game against LA. Even if he is now able to play, the 2019 first pick will probably not be fully fit. As a result, the home side’s offensive power in particular is likely to be weakened