Nets vs. Pelicans: NBA odds, Picks and Predictions
Nets vs. Pelicans Odds
| Nets Odds | -4 |
| Pelicans Odds | +4 |
| Over/Under | 230.5 |
| Date | Fri, Jan. 6 |
| Time | 7:30 p.m. |
| TV | ESPN |
On Friday night, the Brooklyn Nets will travel to the Smoothie King Center to play the short-handed New Orleans Pelicans. Entering play, Brooklyn has won 16 of their last 18 games, which has catapulted them to the third-best record in the Eastern Conference. New Orleans has won six of their last eight contests, and sits only one game behind the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies for the best record in the Western Conference. Oddsmakers are expecting a tightly-contested affair between these two teams, pricing the Nets as 4-point road favorites on the spread.
Brooklyn Nets
Renewed commitment to getting stops
From October 19 through Thanksgiving, the Nets were a disappointing 9-11 in the standings and ranked 20th in the NBA in defensive efficiency. Since that point, there has been a different energy around the team, with wins in 16 of their last 18 trips to the hardwood. In that span, Brooklyn is outscoring their opponents by a league-best 9.1 points per 100 possessions, and ranks 5th in defensive efficiency. Since November 27, Brooklyn has been particularly impressive limiting the damage from the perimeter, allowing the third-fewest attempts per game from beyond-the-arc, and ranking eighth in opponent three-point percentage.
Elite on the road
In their last eight road games, Brooklyn has only one loss – a defeat to the Chicago Bulls two days ago. Still, the Nets rank 2nd in the NBA in Net Rating away from home during that time period. Though their defense has been a big reason for their success, it would be remiss to not mention their league-leading 120.2 points per 100 possessions on the road during their recent hot streak. The dynamic duo of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have been sensational, with both players averaging 28.6 points per game or better on the road this season. Expect another strong offensive performance from this group to begin the weekend.
New Orleans Pelicans
Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram ruled out
Per Cleaning the Glass, New Orleans ranks in the 34th percentile in offensive efficiency and the 78th percentile in defensive efficiency this season when both Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram are on the sidelines. These numbers are significantly worse than their numbers when both players are on the court at the same time – with New Orleans ranking in the 99th percentile in offensive efficiency and the 96th percentile in defensive efficiency in those situations. Unquestionably, New Orleans is a significantly worse team when they are missing two of their top stars, particularly on the offensive end of the floor.
Who will step up for the Pelicans?
Per CourtIQ, C.J. McCollum sees the largest increase in usage when Williamson and Ingram are on the sidelines this season. In 454 minutes with both players off of the court, McCollum is averaging 24.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per 36 minutes of action. Jonas Valanciunas also sees a significant increase in usage in these instances, and has posted 20.8 points to go with 13.1 rebounds per 36 minutes in the absence of the Pelicans’ two frontcourt stars.
Nets vs. Pelicans – Picks & Predictions
The Brooklyn Nets have been outstanding on the road in recent weeks, but their defense is slightly less formidable away from the Barclays Center. When Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram are off of the floor, the New Orleans Pelicans defense regresses from the 96th percentile to the 78th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass. Instead of targeting a side or combined total in this spot, it makes sense for bettors to isolate the Nets’ elite offense – take the over on their team total.
PICK: Brooklyn Nets Team Total o117.5 points (-110, MGM)
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