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The New Orleans Pelicans will head to New York to take on the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Pelicans-Knicks prediction and pick.
The Knicks defeated the Pelicans on Wednesday by 10 points. New York will be looking to build on a five game winning streak, which was capped off with resounding win against the Dallas Mavericks in their last game. New Orleans needs to find a way to string together some wins down the stretch in order to make their playoff push. Will the Knicks find a way to keep the winning streak alive or will the Pelicans play spoiler in New York?
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Pelicans-Knicks odds.
NBA Odds: Pelicans-Knicks Odds
New Orleans Pelicans +2.5 (-110)
Over 219.5 Points (-110)
Under 219.5 Points (-110)
Why The Pelicans Could Cover The Spread
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The New Orleans Pelicans have undoubtedly been one of the more disappointing teams in the league this season. With expectations of competing for a solid playoff spot, Stan Van Gundy’s bunch have been extremely underwhelming. New Orleans is 4-6 in their last 10 games and have been one of the most inconsistent groups all season. Despite the recent success of All-Star forward Zion Williamson, the Pelicans offense has been struggling of late.
New Orleans is shooting just 31.6% from three over their past 10 games, which is the fourth-lowest mark in the league during that stretch. Trading away J.J. Reddick at the deadline definitely has something to do with this recent trend. It has been an entirely different story inside the arc, thanks to the play of Zion. The Pelicans hit 55.1% of their two-point field goals this season, which can be tough for opposing front courts to defend against. New Orleans will have to find a way to find high percentage looks and get their offense back on track against the top defense in the league.
Why The Knicks Could Cover The Spread
The New York Knicks are one of the hottest teams in the NBA, winning their last five games coming in. They defeated this Pelicans team on Wednesday in convincing fashion. The double digit win showed that the defense is lethal and the offense is capable enough to pull out victories. The Knicks recent win against the Dallas Mavericks only added to the confidence that this team is currently playing with, as Julius Randle dropped 44 points in the win against Dallas and continues to put the league on notice with his stellar play.
New York has been an absolute cover machine this season and especially of late. The Knicks have covered in eight straight games and are 35-21-1 ATS this season. They are 16-10-1 ATS on their home court and play the best defense in basketball at the Garden. We can’t stress the impact that Randle has had on this team enough. Over the last three games, Randle is shooting 51.3% from the floor and 52% from beyond the arc. He is averaging a whopping 36.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists during the recent stretch.
Final Pelicans-Knicks Prediction & Pick
We can’t deny that New Orleans has talent on their roster, but it’s not enough consistent talent to defeat a gritty and hungry team in New York. The Knicks play the best defense in the league and will not have to worry about the Pelicans doing any sort of damage from deep. Julius Randle and R.J. Barrett have led this offensive group to success lately and should do so again against a below-average Pelicans defense. We’re going to back the home team that is 11-4-1 ATS in their last 16 games in New York.
FINAL PICK: New York Knicks -2.5 (-110)
