New Orleans Pelicans vs Oklahoma City Thunder picks, odds: Who wins NBA Playoffs series?

jeremy cluff, arizona republic

Mon, Apr 22, 2024, 5:32 PM·3 min read

The No. 8 seed New Orleans Pelicans and No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder play in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs for the Western Conference starting Sunday, April 21.

Who will win the series and advance to the Western Conference semifinals?

Check out these NBA Playoffs series picks and predictions for the Western Conference matchup.

The Thunder are -650 to win the series in NBA Playoffs odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook. The Pelicans are +440.

The Thunder winning in five games is at +210 in odds for the outcome of the series. Oklahoma City is +330 to sweep New Orleans, +430 to win in six games and +450 to win in seven.

The Pelicans are +1000 to take the series in six games, +1600 to win in seven games, +2500 to win in five games and +4700 to sweep Oklahoma City.

NBA.com: Thunder will win series vs. Pelicans in five games

Shaun Powell writes: "OKC was a top-five team offensively and defensively, showing the balance that produced a top seed. There really isn’t an exploitable area on this team — at least in this round — other than physical toughness in the paint. That, and with Shai being the biggest talent on the floor, it all screams a short stay for New Orleans."

The Oklahoman: Thunder will defeat Pelicans in five games

Justin Martinez writes: "New Orleans is a dangerous team when it's at full strength. But Williamson could miss the entire series based off his timeline, so OKC should be able to take care of business. The Thunder can play Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas off the floor with its pick-and-roll game. And even though Herb Jones will make life tough for him, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is still the biggest offensive weapon in the series."

OKC Thunder Wire: Thunder will beat Pelicans in five games

Clemente Almanza writes: "If the Thunder can continue to dictate the pace and force the Pelicans to match points with them, OKC should win this series with relative ease. They will do this and show the rest of the league that their youth won’t limit their playoff success."

Will the Oklahoma City Thunder sweep the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA playoffs? NBA picks, predictions and odds weigh in on the NBA Playoffs series.

VSIN.com: Bet the under in Thunder vs. Pelicans series odds (5.5 games)

Zachary Cohen writes: "All in all, this Thunder team is just far too talented for a Zion-less Pelicans group. And Mark Daigneault is a tremendous head coach, so he’ll have Oklahoma City dialed in — both mentally and tactically. With that in mind, look for this series to be a quick one. This should be a gentleman’s sweep, at most."

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STREAM THE SERIES: Watch Pelicans vs. Thunder NBA Playoffs games with Sling TV

WANNA BET? Here are the latest NBA odds and betting lines

Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Pelicans vs Thunder NBA Playoffs series picks, predictions, odds