The Lakers are coming into this game with a 47-35 record this season and they finished the regular season in 8th place, just sneaking into this game in the last game of the season. They were in 9th place over the last few weeks and were expected to be in the other game for the play-in tournament, but they got very hot to end the regular season and worked themselves into this chance to make the playoffs just playing the 1 extra game. They have won their last 2 straight as well as 6 of their last 8 games and they are coming off of a 16 point win on the road against the Pelicans in their last game which put them in this opportunity. They are going up against a Pelicans team that is 49-33 this season and they have been playing well recently as they have won 5 of their last 6 games, but they have actually been much worse at home this season compared to their road games. They ended their season with a loss at home to the Lakers in a game where they had a chance to claim the 6th seed in the Western Conference with a win and avoid this play-in tournament altogether, but instead they choked that game away at home and have been awful in their recent home games as well. They have lost their last 5 straight as well as 6 of their last 7 games at home and they have not played well against the Lakers this season. The Lakers have won 3 of the 4 games against the Pelicans this season, all 3 of those wins for the Lakers coming by 10+ points, and that includes a win in a similar scenario as the Lakers dismantled the Pelicans in an elimination game when they faced in the semi-final of the NBA In-Season Tournament earlier this year, a tournament that the Lakers won. This may not be a real playoff game but LeBron and the Lakers have Championship pedigree which the Pelicans do not, and the Lakers always bring a little extra for the Pelicans as well. The Lakers will cover the spread in this game.