Philadelphia 76ers vs New Orleans Pelicans 1/2/23 NBA Picks, Predictions, Odds

The New Orleans Pelicans and Philadelphia 76ers meet Monday in NBA action at the Wells Fargo Center. The New Orleans Pelicans have won 5 of their last 6 games. The Philadelphia 76ers have won 7 of their last 9 games.

The New Orleans Pelicans are averaging 117.8 points on 48.3 percent shooting and allowing 112.6 points on 46.5 percent shooting. Zion Williamson is averaging 25.8 points and 7 rebounds, while Brandon Ingram is averaging 20.8 points and 5.1 rebounds. CJ McCollum is the third double-digit scorer and Jonas Valanciunas is grabbing 9.4 rebounds. The New Orleans Pelicans are shooting 36.7 percent from beyond the arc and 78.6 percent from the free throw line. The New Orleans Pelicans are allowing 33.6 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 45.3 rebounds per game.

The Philadelphia 76ers are averaging 111.7 points on 47.5 percent shooting and allowing 108 points on 46.2 percent shooting. Joel Embiid is averaging 33.7 points and 4.3 assists, while Tyrese Maxey is averaging 22.9 points and 4.4 assists. James Harden is the third double-digit scorer and Tobias Harris is grabbing 6.2 rebounds. The Philadelphia 76ers are shooting 38 percent from beyond the arc and 82 percent from the free throw line. The Philadelphia 76ers are allowing 32.9 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 40.4 rebounds per game.

The Pelicans are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games and 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games playing on 1 days rest. The 76ers are 19-7 ATS in their last 26 home games and 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games overall. The over is 7-2 in Pelicans last 9 overall. The over is 4-1 in 76ers last 5 overall. The Pelicans are 3-0-1 ATS in the last 4 meetings in Philadelphia and 6-1-1 ATS in the last 8 meetings.

The Philadelphia 76ers are going to get the benefit of the doubt at home, where they play their best and win by an average of 6.7 points. However, the New Orleans Pelicans have been great for much of the year, Zion is playing like a top-5 player in the league and I just find value with them in the underdog role. In fact, the Pels win by an average of 1.1 points when underdogs. Give me the points.