The San Antonio Spurs play host to the New Orleans Pelicans at the Frost Bank Arena on Sunday night. Here’s a Spurs vs Pelicans Prediction. This article will include a Spurs vs Pelicans Pick.
New Orleans Pelicans Betting Preview
The New Orleans Pelicans haven’t been able to get much going this season, but they will be feeling a little better after they snapped a three-game slide with a 133-127 road win over the Grizzlies on Friday. Saddiq Bey led the team with 36 points on 13 of 20 shooting, Trey Murphy III added 32 points on nine o f 17 shooting while Zion Williamson tallied 24 points with 11 rebounds and four assists. As a team, the Pelicans shot 46 percent from the field and 13 of 36 from the 3-point line as they struggled to contain the Grizzlies early on. They looked to headed for another defeat after they fell behind by 13 points, but that all changed in the fourth quarter where the Pelicans exploded for 40 points to pull off the upset on the road.
San Antonio Spurs Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs have been heating up lately as they’ve won four of their last five games overall. They will be looking to stay hot after making light work of the Jazz in a 126-109 road win on Thursday. De’Aaron Fox led the team with 31 points on 10 of 13 shooting, Victor Wembenyama added 26 points with 14 rebounds and five blocks while Keldon Johnson chipped in with 21 points and five assists off the bench. As a team, the Spurs shot 51 percent from the field and 18 of 43 from the 3-point line as they opened the second quarter on a ferocious 19-4 run to take a 12-point lead into halftime. However, they didn’t have full control of the game until the fourth quarter where they held the Jazz to just 17 points to pull away and make it a blowout on the road.
Why the San Antonio Spurs will win
- The Pelicans have lost each of their last 13 road games against teams that held a winning record.
- The favorites have won each of the Spurs’ last nine games.
- The favorites have covered the spread in 11 of the Pelicans’ last 13 games.
- The Pelicans have failed to cover the spread in five of their last six games against teams that held a winning record.
Why the New Orleans Pelicans will win
- The Spurs have lost each of their last three games as home favorites following a road win.
- The Pelicans have won three of their last four games as underdogs against Southwest Division opponents.
- The Spurs have failed to cover the spread in nine of their last 10 night games against Pelicans teams that held a losing record.
- The Pelicans have covered the spread in eight of their last nine games against Southwest Division opponents.
Total Points Facts
- Each of the Pelicans’ last seven road games following a road win have gone OVER the total points line.
- Eleven of the Spurs’ last 12 games have gone UNDER the total points line.
San Antonio Spurs Player Facts
- Victor Wembanyama ranks 1st amongst qualified players for blocks per game (2.6) this season.
- Stephon Castle has recorded 7+ assists in six consecutive appearances – longest active streak of any player in the league.
New Orleans Pelicans Player Facts
- Herb Jones is one of only two players in the league to have recorded 8+ steals in a game this season.
- Trey Murphy III ranks 5th amongst qualified players for FT% (90.6%) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Spurs rank 2nd in the league for opponent offensive rebounds per game this season (10.2).
- The Spurs rank 2nd in the league for opponent free throws made per game this season (16.8).
- The Pelicans have recorded the largest comeback win from a HT deficit this season – trailed by 22 points vs Rockets on December 18.
- The Pelicans rank 1st for points in the paint (2738) this season.
Spurs vs Pelicans Prediction
The Pelicans are still missing Dejounte Murray, and they have Jose Alverado listed as questionable, while the Spurs are keeping an eye on Luke Kornet who is questionable with a thigh injury. The Pelicans have been ice-cold for a while now, but they looked like a different team in their upset win over the shorthanded Grizzlies in their last outing. Still, it’s hard to go past the Spurs who are playing great basketball at the moment, and they are as healthy as they’ve been all season which certainly helps with continuity. The line was always going to be hefty for this matchup, but still not high enough to sway me from taking the Spurs to win by double digits at home in this spot.