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We're back with another betting prediction and pick for the upcoming NBA slate as we head to the southern region for this next matchup. The New Orleans Pelicans (12-33) will take on the Charlotte Hornets (11-30) as both teams look to bounce back from recent losses. It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Pelicans-Hornets prediction and pick.
The New Orleans Pelicans dropped their most recent game to the Memphis Grizzlies 139-126. It was a high-scoring affair that the Pelicans came up just short in as they continue to work through injuries to their starting lineup. They've also won four of their last five and will look to continue their momentum as road favorites.
The Charlotte Hornets are currently thirteenth in the Eastern Conference, most recently dropping back-to-back games against the Grizzlies and Trail Blazers. Prior to that, they rode a three-game winning streak for the first time all season and will be hoping for a similar result in their first time facing New Orleans.
Here are the Pelicans-Hornets NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Pelicans-Hornets Odds
New Orleans Pelicans: -3.5 (-108)
Moneyline: -166
Charlotte Hornets: +3.5 (-112)
Moneyline: +140
Over: 227.5 (-112)
Under: 227.5 (-108)
How To Watch Pelicans vs. Hornets
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET/ 4:00 p.m. PT
TV: FanDuel Sports South, FanDuel Southeast, NBA League Pass
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
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Why the Pelicans Could Cover the Spread/Win
Despite their recent success, the New Orleans Pelicans couldn't keep up with the third-place Memphis Grizzlies during their last game on the road. Still, it was a promising performance for the New Orleans offense as they managed through the first three quarters. It was Dejounte Murray emerging as their leading scorer with CJ McCollum and Trey Murphy close by as well. Jordan Hawkins also made an impact off the bench shooting 4-10 from three, so the Pelicans are certainly the hotter team heading into this game.
The loss of Herbert Jones has clearly hurt this team along the perimeters as he serves the role of their best on-ball defender. Brandon Ingram will continue to miss time, but they will likely see Zion Williamson return to the lineup following a brief illness. While the big men of Charlotte are athletic and can protect the paint well, Williamson should have another mismatch as he looks to lead in scoring and rebounding as he's done in recent weeks.
Why the Hornets Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Charlotte Hornets notched a season-high three-game winning streak just last week, arguably the brightest we've seen this Charlotte team all season. LaMelo Ball has been leading the way in scoring and ranks fourth in the NBA with 29.0 PPG. He's also averaging a whopping 7.5 APG, ranking him eighth in the NBA and offering great looks for his teammates down low in Miles Bridges and Mark Williams. Williams has emerged as the Hornets' center of the future and his ability to grab rebounds and dunk around the rim is what keeps the Hornets competitive in most of their games.
Both Ball and Bridges sat out their last game against Memphis, so we're still awaiting to see if they'll make starts ahead of this contest. IF not, Nick Smith Jr. is likely to make another start after posting a respectable 17-5-5 stat line in a close loss. He's also very sound on the defensive end, but thi game may be more about the matchup down low between Zion Williamson and Mark Williams – expect Williams to have a slight edge with his height and length in going straight up against Zion around the rim.
Final Pelicans-Hornets Prediction & Pick
This should be a fun game as both teams meet for the first time this season, but we're still awaiting word on whether the Hornets will be without their two best players in LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges. The Pelicans will be getting their star back in Zion Williamson, so expect him to have an immediate impact in the rebounding of the game and his ability to finish around the rim.
The Hornets won't have much of a chance in this game with both Ball and Bridges out, but Mark Williams could stand to keep them competitive with his play in the low blocks. He's been a great defensive presence all season and another shutout performance is what the Hornets need to notch a win here.
However, the Pelicans have gone 7-5 when listed as the betting favorites this season and as they slowly get healthy, their play on the court should slowly follow and improve as the season wears on. For our final prediction in this one, we'll roll with the New Orleans Pelicans to cover the short spread on the road.
Final Pelicans-Hornets Prediction & Pick: New Orleans Pelicans ML (-166)
