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The New Orleans Pelicans will face the Indiana Pacers on Monday. It will be a showdown at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse as we share our NBA odds series and make a Pelicans-Pacers prediction and pick.
On Friday, the Pelicans lost 112-108 to the Golden State Warriors to drop their fourth in a row and fall to 4-12. Conversely, the Pacers defeated the Washington Wizards to improve their record to 7-10.
The Pacers lead the head-to-head series 28-21. Recently, the Pelicans defeated the Pacers 125-118 at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans are 6-4 in the past 10 games against the Pacers. However, the Pacers are 3-2 in the last five home games against the Pelicans.
Here are the Pelicans-Pacers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Pelicans-Pacers Odds
New Orleans Pelicans: +6.5 (-112)
Moneyline: +194
Indiana Pacers: -6.5 (-108)
Moneyline: -235
Over: 225.5 (-110)
Under: 225.5 (-110)
How To Watch Pelicans vs. Pacers
Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
TV: GULF TV and FDSI
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Pelicans Could Cover the Spread/Win
Life has been challenging for the Pelicans lately with massive injuries, and it got tougher when it was revealed that Zion Williamson would not return for a while. Unfortunately, that is one of the many reasons why the Pelicans have struggled across the board.
The Pelicans are 29th in points. Furthermore, they are 27th in field-goal shooting percentage, including 23rd from beyond the arc. Shooting free throws has not been consistent, as they are 18th from the charity stripe. Also, winning the board battle has been inconsistent for the Pelicans, who are 18th in rebounds. Handling the basketball has been tough for the Pelicans, as they are 25th in assists and 18th in turnovers. Yet, the defense has remained stout, as they are 11th in blocked shots.
Brandon Ingram has an ankle injury but has remained relatively reliable. So far, he is averaging 22.9 points per game while shooting 46.5 percent from the field. Ingram must hold the fort down while Williamson recovers from a hamstring injury. Therefore, the pressure on him is tenfold.
CJ McCollum is a game-time decision for this game as he recovers from a thigh injury. Sadly, he has only played four games this season. Trey Murphy III is averaging 17.2 points per game. Unfortunately, he also has missed a lot of time this season. Jordan Hawkins is averaging 15.1 points per game. However, he is shooting only 39.3 percent from the floor. Dejounte Murray has not played since October 23 and will remain unavailable for the Pelicans.
The Pelicans will cover the spread if their players can spread the floor and take better shots. Then, they must stop the red-hot Indiana offense from going off.
Why the Pacers Could Cover the Spread/Win
There has been inconsistency as the Pacers are still finding their way. Like many players, Tyrese Haliburton is struggling and not producing as well as he did in previous seasons. Despite his struggles, the Pacers have done well in many aspects.
The Pacers are 12th in points. They are also third in field-goal shooting percentage, including 14th from beyond the arc. Thriving at the charity stripe has had mixed results, as they are 16th in free-throw shooting percentage. They have struggled on the boards, ranking 27th in rebounds. The Pacers also have some issues handling the basketball, as they rank 16th in turnovers. The defense has been average, as they rank 16th in blocked shots.
Pascal Siakam remains the heart of this offense. Ultimately, he averages 20.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game while shooting 55.4 percent from the floor. Bennedict Mathurin has been solid. So far, he is averaging 18.9 points per game while shooting 51 percent from the floor, including 45.2 percent from beyond the arc. Myles Turner has been good. Substantially, he is averaging 16.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game while shooting 48 percent from the floor. Haliburton averages 15.5 points per game. Yet, he is shooting only 37.8 percent from the field.
The Pacers will cover the spread if their offense can continue to play at a high level. Then, the defense must close out on the Pelicans' shooters and not allow them any chances.
Final Pelicans-Pacers Prediction & Pick
The Pelicans are 5-12 against the spread, while the Pacers are 7-9 against the odds. Moreover, the Pelicans are 0-8 against the spread on the road, while the Pacers are 4-2 against the odds at home. The Pelicans are 2-5 against the spread against the Eastern Conference, while the Pacers are 1-2 against the odds against the Western Conference.
The Pelicans look to finally get things going. However, they are still missing some key players and will struggle to do anything without them. The Pacers cover the spread at home.
Final Pelicans-Pacers Prediction & Pick: Indiana Pacers: -6.5 (-108)
