New Orleans Hornets vs Oklahoma City Thunder | Predictions, Preview , Odds & Free Pick | Sportsbookbuzz.com

NBA Free Pick – Wednesday February 2, 2011

NBA TV Game Preview

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New Orleans Hornets @ Oklahoma City Thunder
Pointspread: Thunder-7
Over/Under: 193 ½

The New Orleans Hornets will try and even the season series at two games apiece when they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight at Oklahoma City Arena. Game time is set for 8 p.m. (ET) and it will be broadcast nationally on NBA TV.

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New Orleans remains in the thick of things in the Western Conference with eight wins in its last 10 games. The Hornets got by Washington 97-89 as nine-point home favorite on Tuesday night to run their overall record to 32-18 straight-up (26-23-1 against the spread) for the year. They are currently nine games behind the streaking San Antonio Spurs in the Southwest Division, but have the fourth best record in the conference.

When you look at the strength of this team you have to start with David West and Chris Paul. West leads the team in scoring with an average of 18.8 points per game and is also second on the team in rebounds with 7.3 a game. Paul is averaging 16.6 points and is ranked third in the league in assists with 9.7 a game. Center Emeka Okafor, the Hornets leading rebounder, is out until later this month with a strained Oblique, so they will most likely look to Jason Smith to fill the void.

New Orleans’ 94.9 points per game rank in 26th in the league in scoring, but defensively it is second in the NBA to only Boston in points allowed; giving up an average of 91.6 a game. The Hornets are shooting 45.7 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from three-point range.

Oklahoma City is coming off a hard-fought 108-103 loss to Miami as a one-point home favorite this past Sunday. The Thunder find themselves in a three-team battle in the Northwest Division with Utah and Denver. They currently have a two-game lead over the Jazz with an overall record of 30-17 SU (23-24 ATS) which is fifth-best in the West.

The dynamic duo for this team is Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Durant continues to lead the NBA in scoring with an average of 28.8 points a game and is tied for the team lead in rebounds with 6.7. Westbrook is the second leading scorer with 22.6 points and leads in assists with 8.5 a game. Jeff Green helps round out a potent offensive attack with an average of 15.1 points and 5.9 rebounds.

The Thunder are ranked fifth in the league in points with an average of 104.2 a game. They are shooting 45.6 percent from the floor but just 32.5 percent from three-point range, which is ranked second to last in the league. Defensively, Oklahoma City is holding its opponents to 102.7 points and pulling down an average of 42.3 rebounds a game.

New Orleans is 2-3 ATS in its last five road games and 1-4 ATS in its last five games overall. The total has gone ‘over’ in three of its last four games.

Oklahoma City is 2-3 ATS in its last five games at home and 1-6 ATS in its last seven games overall. The total has gone ‘over’ in its last three games.

Head-to-head, the Thunder have won four of the last five games SU and is 5-0 ATS. The total has stayed ‘under’ in the last four meetings. This will be the fourth time these two teams have played one another this season with Oklahoma City winning the first two and New Orleans winning 91-89 as a 3 ½-point home favorite on Jan.24. The total stayed ‘under’ the 190 ½ point line.

This time around, the lack of Okafor in the lineup could take its toll as New Orleans will miss his 10 rebounds and 11 points a game against a high-scoring team like the Thunder. Stick with Oklahoma City to win the game outright, but the Hornets keep things close enough to cover with the seven points.

Check out the latest NBA Basketball Odds here.

The odds makers have the Oklahoma City Thunder as a -7 point favorite with an over/under of 193.5.

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