New Orleans has a home back-to-back against inferior opponents as the appetizer for their in-season tournament game on Monday in Sacramento. San Antonio comes in after a wild loss to the Hawks on the second night of a back-to-back and expecting the same type of offensive efficiency to stay with the high-flying Pelicans feels like a tough ask.
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Spurs vs. Pelicans Betting Odds
| Spurs | Pelicans | |
| Spread | +12.5 | -12.5 |
| Moneyline | +570 | -750 |
| Total | o235.5 | u236 |
*lines accurate at the time of publication
Spurs vs. Pelicans Best Bets
Pelicans -12.5 (-112, FanDuel)
New Orleans has been on the upswing, even when not healthy with the fifth-best net rating over the last two weeks, while San Antonio is toiling at 29th with a horrendous -14.1 net rating.
The Pelicans offense has stepped up with Zion Williamson taking more of a lead ball handler role. He is averaging 28 points, 5 rebounds and 5.8 assists in the last two weeks and the offense is up to 11th, while the defense has been top five according to Cleaning the Glass in that time. New Orleans has been playing bully ball with their size and lack of spacing without CJ McCollum or Trey Murphy, getting to the rim at the fifth-highest rate. San Antonio, even with Victor Wembanyama, is allowing below-average in allowing shots at the rim and only league-average in shooting percentage allowed at the rim. So the Pelicans should be able to dictate terms offensively.
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New Orleans has been able to have their good run of play without McCollum and Murphy but both should be returning to the lineup tonight. With the depth New Orleans has, both should be on a minutes limit and if there is rust, the guys playing in their place should be able to raise the floor of the team’s output for the night.
The Spurs are on the second night of a back-to-back and have not played well in that scenario this season. They lost by 41 to the Pacers, giving up 152 points, and by 12, giving up 120 to a Grizzlies team that was having major issues getting the ball in the basket. Victor Wembanyama is questionable as well, so if he does not play, that limits the defense for the Spurs even more.
San Antonio is 4-9 ATS in this losing streak and in better rest scenarios than this for themselves and against teams not playing as well as the Pelicans in this moment. The physical style of New Orleans should wear down an under-talented Spurs team that will tire as the game progresses.
Risk: 1.12 units on FanDuel to win 1 unit.
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