Pelicans vs 76ers prediction, odds, preview

The New Orleans Pelicans are back home after a three-game road trip that included back-to-back matchups against the Utah Jazz. They will face off with the Philadelphia 76ers in a cross-conference clash on Wednesday night.

New Orleans dropped both games to Utah, falling to .500 on the year with a 9-9 overall record. Those two losses came after the Pelicans won three in a row, including two victories over the Sacramento Kings when they were last inside the Smoothie Center. So far this season, New Orleans is 6-4 at home and 3-5 on the road.

The 76ers, meanwhile, are off to a 12-5 start to the year and once again one of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia crushed the Los Angeles Lakers last time out with a 138-94 shellacking. The 76ers are now 7-3 at home and 5-2 on the road.

Philadelphia has won many of the recent head-to-head meetings with New Orleans, going 8-2 in this series dating back to 2018. That said, these two teams split the two-game set last year, with the home team prevailing in each contest.

Caesars Sportsbook, the official odds partner of Bet.NOLA.com, expects this game to be competitive, listing the 76ers as 2.5-point favorites with an over/under of 231.5.

Let’s take a closer look at the odds and trends:

Philadelphia 76ers atNew Orleans Pelicans

Time/TV: 7 p.m. CT (Bally Sports)

Point spread (from Caesars): Philadelphia -2.5

Over/under: 231.5

Moneyline: Philadelphia -140, New Orleans +118

Analysis: Both teams have actually fared well from a betting perspective this season. The 76ers are 12-4-1 against the spread, ranking in the top five in the league with a cover rate of 70.6%. The Pelicans are eighth in the Association with an ATS clip of 10-7-1. Philadelphia is 10-6-1 to the over, while New Orleans is 11-7 to the under.

As is often the case when betting on the NBA, it’s important to monitor the injury report of Wednesday’s matchup. 76ers big man Joel Embiid, who won the MVP award last year, is no stranger to getting rested in certain spots.

But this could be a good spot to back Zion Williamson, either way. The New Orleans power forward is averaging 23.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game while shooting 54.8% from the floor. He has played in 14 of the possible 18 contests this year.

There are many ways to bet on Williamson, but his rebounding prop stands out the most. Caesars has listed the rebound mark at 5.5 and is offering the best price on the over at -139. With a projection of 6.6 rebounds in this game, there is roughly a 5% edge on this prop at this time.

Caesars is one of the only shops to offer first-quarter prop markets, as well. Williamson has a rebound prop of 1.5 in the first quarter, with the over listed at +110. That could be an option for those not comfortable with paying the vig on the full-game line.

Best bet: Zion Williamson Over 5.5 rebounds (-139 via Caesars)