The New Orleans Pelicans and the Los Angeles Lakers square off in the 7-8 battle in the 2024 Play-in Tournament on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET. For this game, SportsLine consensus lists the Pelicans as 1-point favorites, while the over/under is 224.5 points (see up-to-date odds for every game this week on our NBA odds page). 

Before you make any Lakers vs. Pelicans picks, you NEED to see what the SportsLine Projection Model has to say.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters the 2024 NBA playoffs on a sizzling 88-58 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning more than $2,600. Anyone following it has seen HUGE returns!

The model knows Los Angeles forward LeBron James dominates this time of year. James can be unstoppable heading to the rim while using his top-tier playmaking ability to get his teammates involved. The 20-time All-Star averages 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game. In his last outing, James had 28 points, 11 boards and 17 assists.

The model also knows New Orleans forward Zion Williamson is one of the most athletic players in the league. Williamson can both soar high or overpower opposing players in the paint. He's tough to stop when he gets downhill. The Duke product puts up 22.9 points, 5.8 rebound and five assists per game. On April 12 vs. the Warriors, Williamson dropped 26 points, three rebounds and three assists.

The model has simulated Lakers vs. Pelicans 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under on the point total, and it also says one side of the spread hits in nearly 60% of simulations!

Who wins Lakers vs. Pelicans, and which side of the spread hits in nearly 60% of simulations? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of the spread you should be all over, all from the model on an 88-58 roll on top-rated NBA picks!