After eliminating the Warriors, the Kings are heading down to The Big Easy for a winner-take-all matchup with the Pelicans. New Orleans was defeated by the Lakers in the first round of the Play-In Tournament and lost Zion Williamson in the process.
The absence of Williamson could level the playing field. Sacramento lost all five meetings with the Pels during the regular season.
Which players will rule the day? Here are our best prop bets for Kings vs Pelicans.
Kings vs Pelicans Odds
Use our NBA odds to locate the best ways to bet on Kings vs Pelicans:
Kings vs Pelicans Player Props
CJ McCollum: Over 23.5 Points (-112) vs Kings
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
McCollum was essentially a non-factor in the Pelicans’ Play-In loss to the Lakers, scoring nine points on 4-of-15 shooting while posting a team-worst -17 in roughly 30 minutes. New Orleans needs much more from him if it’s to advance to the NBA Playoffs.
Fortunately for McCollum, he’s had plenty of success against the Kings this season. The 32-year-old went for 30-plus points in two out of three tries, including a 31-point showing (11-of-18 FG, 9-of-12 3PT) on April 11.
Breakout guard Keon Ellis won’t make it easy on him, but with Williamson sidelined, McCollum should see a drastic increase in shot volume. Even if he isn’t efficient, he could get the Over on account of that alone.
Excluding his no-show performance against Los Angeles, McCollum averaged 27.5 points over his final 10 games of the season. Expect a bounce-back effort and make this your NBA bet of the day.
De’Aaron Fox: Under 2.5 Threes (+140) @ Pelicans
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
New Orleans gives up the second-most three-point attempts per game (38.7), but opponents rarely cash in on those looks. The Pelicans have allowed just 34.9% shooting from beyond the arc this season — the second-best mark in the NBA.
That’s held true for Fox in these matchups, too. The 26-year-old went 9-for-37 from three-point range across five meetings with New Orleans during the regular season, failing to reach this Over in all but one (3-for-7 on April 11).
This is a riskier play given the sheer amount of attempts Fox could get up, but what the Pels did to opponents during the regular season was no fluke. At (+140), there’s plenty of value to be had here.
Kings vs Pelicans Prop Bets
Kings: Over 105.5 Points (-105) @ Pelicans
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
The Kings haven’t defeated the Pelicans in 2023-24, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t succeeded offensively. Sacramento has scored at least 106 points in three of its five meetings with New Orleans, including an 123-point outing on April 11.
- See our Bulls vs Heat prop bets for more NBA Play-In coverage.
The Pelicans have allowed 106 points or more in eight of their last 12 overall, including each of their last four. New Orleans may look to lean more on its defense without Williamson, but either way, it’s in the Kings’ best interest to push the pace.
