The San Antonio Spurs (10-20) will square off against the New Orleans Pelicans (18-12) on Thursday at Smoothie King Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.
The Spurs secured a 124-105 victory over the Houston Rockets on Monday to cover as 4.5-point underdogs on the road. San Antonio has won 4 of its last 6 games.
The Pelicans suffered a 128-119 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday as they failed to cover as 1-point underdogs at home. New Orleans has lost 4 straight games following a 7-game winning streak.
- Moneyline (ML): Spurs +280 (bet $100 to win $280) | Pelicans -340 (bet $340 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Spurs +7.5 (-110) | Pelicans -7.5 (+110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 227.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
Spurs
- F Keldon Johnson (hamstring) doubtful
- G Romeo Langford (elbow) probable
- C Jakob Poeltl (knee) probable
Pelicans
- F Brandon Ingram (toe) out
- F Larry Nance Jr. (Achilles) questionable
- F Zion Williamson (health & safety protocols) out
For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.
Spurs at Pelicans picks and predictions
Prediction
Pelicans 117, Spurs 110
Moneyline
Go ahead and PASS on the moneyline in this game despite the Pelicans being heavily favored. While New Orleans is expected to win, Williamson is out and the Pelicans have lost 4 games in a row, so taking them straight up at the current odds isn’t advised.
Against the spread
SPURS +7.5 (-110) is where I’m leaning in this game despite taking the Pelicans to win. New Orleans won’t have Williamson or Ingram, so it might be tough for the Pelicans to cruise to a 8-plus-point win over the Spurs.
The Spurs are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a win by 10-plus points and 7-0 ATS in the last 7 road meetings against the Pelicans. Meanwhile, the Pelicans are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games.
Over/Under
Considering that both of these teams are top 12 in pace OVER 227.5 (-115) is an enticing wager in this game. Even though both teams are shorthanded, there should be a decent amount of scoring on Thursday night.