The Los Angeles Lakers will battle the New Orleans Pelicans in the league play-in game Tuesday night inside Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA. The game will tip off at 7:30 p.m. The game is between the 7^th and 8^th seeds, so it is going to be a tight game between two teams that made a late-season push to get to this point. 

Bookmaker has installed the Pelicans as a slim - 1.5 point favorite. 

The Lakers (47-35) finished the regular season with 47 wins, and they hung in there despite some injuries and inconsistent play. Still, they will need a few vintage performances by veteran and future HOF'er LeBron James if they have any notion of making a deep run now. They won six of eight overall to close out the regular season and will look for James to get them the win. 

On Sunday, the Lakers dominated the Pelicans, 124-108, to close out the regular season. But these are the playoffs, and the ball will go through the crafty veteran. 

James has scored 25 points per game this season while logging a lot of minutes—35 a night, to be exact. His legs have not betrayed him just yet, and he will need his teammates to step up in this one. 

The Lakers do not have the strongest or deepest bench in the league, but they have some decent role players. Anthony Davis has had a monster season, but he might not be available for this game because of a back issue. If he can not go, Los Angeles must find a way to have a presence inside and a defensive rim protector around the lane. 

The Pelicans (49-33) have enjoyed a solid season and were one win shy of winning 50 games. They have a ton of talent and athleticism and are a much younger team than the aging Lakers. But the Lakers have been there before, and they are not afraid of the big moment. 

Can that be said about the Pelicans? We are going to find out Tuesday night. They are led on offense by rising star Zion Williamson, who has stayed healthy and enjoyed a monster season. He looks to be playing the best basketball of his career at this stage and could not have come at a better time. 

New Orleans will look to push the pace and the tempo and attack the rim. They know if Davis can not go, they will also have the advantage on the boards. Williamson averages 22 points a game and 20 a clip against the Lakers. 

The Lakers are 3-2 in their last five games and 2-3 in their previous five games against the number. They are also 18-22 in their road games against the spread, and the totals have gone over four out of their last five games. The Pelicans are 4-1 in their previous five games and 3-2 in their last five games against the number. They are 23-17 in their road games against the spread. The totals have gone over in 20 of their last 40 games at home.