The Spurs are looking for the fifth win in six matches, while the Pelicans are hoping to defeat another title contender after a win over Oklahoma. With plenty of picks and markets to choose from, don’t waste your time and join the action at Get More Sports.
San Antonio Spurs at New Orleans Pelicans
Spread: New Orleans Pelicans -2 (-103) at BetDSI Sportsbook
Total: Over/Under 208 points (-108)
The Spurs are searching for the third consecutive victory
The San Antonio Spurs are leaving Texas following two wins in a row over the Oklahoma City Thunder and Atlanta Hawks, and are looking to improve the current 3-4 record on the road. Gregg Popovich’s side is in the third position in the Western Conference with the 11-6 record, two wins behind the divisional rivals the Houston Rockets, and the reigning champions Golden State Warriors.
Once again, San Antonio’s excellent defense secured a victory as they held the Hawks to miserable 85 points and just 26.7% from beyond the arc. The Spurs dominated the boards (52-38) and recorded eight assists more than Atlanta (29-21), and although they committed 18 turnovers, the visitors couldn’t make an upset at AT&T Center. LaMarcus Aldridge led San Antonio with a double-double of 22 points and game-high 11 rebounds; Manu Ginobili added 16 points, while Danny Green scored 14 points along with eight boards. Kyle Anderson posted a double-double of 13 points and career-high ten dishes, with six rebounds, while Pau Gasol contributed with six points and seven boards. Aldridge and Gasol could have a troublesome game at New Orleans on Wednesday as they face a two-headed giant DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they struggle on this one. However, Anderson, Green, and Rudy Gay have more favorable matchups, and I expect them to reach double digits, especially if Aldridge and Gasol are unable to do damage from the interior. Patty Mills won the starting point guard job over Dejounte Murray who is struggling after a positive start of the season, but the Australian international will face Rajon Rondo, so I don’t believe he will score a bunch of points. Still, Mills posted eight rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and two blocks against the Hawks, and he will play a significant role on both ends of the floor.
Gregg Popovich is still without his best player Kawhi Leonard who not returned to the practice yet and could be sidelined for another month or so, while Tony Parker could be back by the end of the November as he’s recovering from a quad injury. The Spurs are scoring 101.29 points per contest on average (24th in the NBA), while they are allowing 98.24 points in return (3rd in the NBA). San Antonio is among the best ten teams in the league (7th) when it comes to rebounding (46.06), and the defense is limiting the rivals to 41.35 boards per match, which is good enough for the fifth place in the NBA.
Place: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
Date/Time: Wednesday, November 22nd, 2017, 8 PM ET
TV Coverage: FOX SPORTS NEW ORLEANS, FSSW
The Pelicans are looking for the fourth home win in six games
The New Orleans Pelicans are hoping for another victory at Smoothie King Center after they beat the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday, and are slight favorites to defeat the Spurs on this one. Alvin Gentry’s side is currently in the seventh position in the Western Conference with the 9-8 record, which is two wins behind San Antonio and four behind Houston, their divisional rivals.
New Orleans trailed in the first half against the Thunder, but they managed to bounce back after the interval and record a 114:107 victory, scoring 57 points in the second half in opposite to Oklahoma’s 42. The Pelicans had excellent 51.3% from the field and nine rebounds more than the Thunder (49-40), and even though they committed 19 turnovers, the defense played magnificently in the final 24 minutes to secure a vital win. Anthony Davis led New Orleans with a double-double of 36 points (9-19 FG, 18-22 FT) and 15 boards, along with game-high two blocks, while DeMarcus Cousins added 18 points, nine boards, four assists, and two steals. Jrue Holiday scored 18 points with four rebounds, E’Twaun Moore chipped in with 12 points and two thefts, while Darius Miller ended the game with 11 points, seven boards, and four dimes. Rajon Rondo logged a season-high 30 minutes in a win, adding eight dishes in the process, and it is evident that with him in the lineup the Pelicans are looking way better in the offense, so I am expecting him to run the floor for the hosts on this one. Cousins and Davis are players to watch as they should dominate the boards and interior against Aldridge and Gasol, and although San Antonio’s defense is one of the best in the NBA, they could create havoc in the paint and combine for around 50 points on Wednesday.
Alvin Gentry cannot count on Alexis Ajinca, and Omer Asik as both centers are sidelined with respective injuries, but the coach is happy to have the veteran Tony Allen back into contention after the former Memphis Grizzlies player returned against the Thunder, logging 18 minutes and adding six points and six boards. The Pelicans are scoring 108.71 points per contest on average (9th in the NBA), while they are allowing 110.35 points in return (27th in the NBA). However, the defense will certainly improve now when Gentry has Rondo and Allen back, while the offense is among the top five teams in the league (3rd) when it comes to field goal percentage (48.27%).
San Antonio Spurs at New Orleans Pelicans Trends & Prediction
The Spurs are 9-8 against the spread (1-6 away), while they are 7-10 on over/under (2-5 away), and even though San Antonio is playing particularly well in the defense, I don’t think they will manage to limit the hosts to under 105 points here. That’s why picking OVER here is a better option than playing on the spread.
The Pelicans are 10-7 against the spread (4-4 home), while they are 9-8 on over/under (4-4 home), and considering that New Orleans scored 110+ points in the previous seven games, I believe that this tilt could produce at least 210 points.
My Pick: Pass
Total: Over 208 points (-108)
