Thirty teams started and only 4 remain. The NBA In-Season Tournament has been a pleasant surprise and a bigger success than many thought (including me). Tonight, it’s the semifinals which features the Pacers taking on the Bucks and the Pelicans battling the Lakers, with both games taking place in Las Vegas. I have crafted a +771 Same Game Parlay for the later game at 9:00 pm ET, so let’s get right into it, but make sure you also read our NBA picks for the matchups.
LeBron James 30+ points (+125)
Zion Williamson 25+ points (+130)
Pelicans ML (+108)
Same Game Parlay odds: +771
LeBron James 30+ points (+125)
LeBron is at his best when the lights shine the brightest. In the quarterfinals, he finished with 31 points on 12-for-25 shooting and nearly notched a triple-double, too. The King is averaging 24.7 points per game in his 21st season in the league, and what’s most interesting is that he’s scored 30+ points only 6 times this season. However, in the 5 In-Season Tournament games LeBron has scored 30+ points 3 times. The playoff-like atmosphere seems to be what he needs to score 30 or more, and with the Lakers just 1 win away from the first-ever In-Season Tournament championship game, I’m expecting him to do anything and everything to get the Lakers the win tonight.
Check out our full New Orleans Pelicans vs Los Angeles Lakers predictions
Zion Williamson 25+ points (+130)
This isn’t too far off from Zion’s season average. The former Duke star is averaging 22.7 points per game this season and has recorded 25 or more in 7 of his last 9 games. The reason his odds are so good tonight is that he will match up with LeBron, but Williamson is far more athletic than James right now. Jonas Valančiūnas will be busy with Anthony Davis, and LeBron won’t have much weak-side help with Zion in the paint — which makes me think Zion could have a big night tonight in L.A. In a fast-paced game with a lot of points expected, scoring shouldn’t be a problem for Zion.
New Orleans Pelicans ML over Los Angeles Lakers (+108)
The New Orleans Pelicans have been the most impressive team in the In-Season Tournament. So far, the Pelicans have beaten the Mavericks, Nuggets, Clippers and Kings en route to this semifinal appearance. By no means are those easy teams to beat with Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, James Harden and De’Aaron Fox leading the charge for the opposition. And yet, the Pelicans keep finding a way to win. The trio of Zion, Brandon Ingram and C.J. McCollum has been spectacular, and New Orleans has been getting excellent production out of Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III, too.
Compared to New Orleans’ path to this point, the Lakers have defeated the Suns twice, Grizzlies, Trail Blazers and Jazz. The quality of those opponents is a dramatic difference compared to the Pelicans. Davis and Jarred Vanderbilt are banged up at the moment. The Pelicans are in the perfect spot to upset the Lakers tonight.
You can also read our Pacers vs Bucks Same Game Parlay for the other NBA In-Season Tournament semifinal
