Washington Wizards vs. New Orleans Pelicans Prediction, Preview, and Odds

Once Upon A Time In Las Vegas - Championship Sunday

The Washington Wizards (22-33-3 ATS) travel to New Orleans to take on Pelicans (24-25 ATS) for an Eastern verse Western Conference battle. Tipoff is set for 8:00 PM Eastern.

Let's dive in.

Wizards Claim 4 Straight

The Wizards have had good fortunes on their Western Conference road trip, and have now won three straight on the road. They recently rallied back against the Rockets to win a 108-103 game. The Wizards scored 37 points in the 4th quarter while holding Houston to 22, overcoming a 10 point 4th quarter deficit.Kyle Kuzma led the way for the Wizards with 33 points.

Washington coach, Wes Unseld, added after the game, "Not the prettiest game...didn't have the energy in that first half...but to their credit they responded after halftime. In that fourth quarter we really amped it up."

On the season, the Wizards come into the game with a net scoring margin of -.7 which is bottom 10 in the league. Washington is shooting 47.9% from the floor, which boasts a top 10 shooting percentage in the league. From distance the Wizards have been connecting on 34.9% of their shots which is bottom 10 in the NBA. The offense is right around league average in points in the paint as they are scoring just under 51 points in the key each game. Defensively in the paint, they have struggled getting stops as they are allowing right around 51 points to opponents. The offense has taken good care of the ball on the season and are 10th in league in turnovers per game, committing under 14 per game. As for forcing turnovers, the defense hasn't exactly been pesky as the Wizards find themselves bottom in the league in opponent turnovers per contest, forcing just 12.4 per game. The offense has struggled getting second chance points as they bring down just 22.4% of their missed shots, which is, again, bottom 10 in the NBA. On the defensive glass, however, the Wizards have been holding opposing teams to an offensive rebound rate of 23.4%, which is right outside the top 10.

Losses Mount To 7 Straight For Pelicans

The Pelicans welcomed the return of Brandon Ingram, but were unable to secure a win at home against the Timberwolves. Ingram was rusty in his return, missing 14-18 shots and going 0-6 from deep. New Orleans started the second quarter with an eight point deficit. They were able to take brief lead in the 3rd quarter, but ultimately couldn't get enough scoring to keep up with the Timberwolves. C.J. McCollum led the Pelicans in scoring with 25 points and he added eight rebounds.

The Pelicans enter this game with a net scoring margin of +2.3 which ranks 8th in the NBA. The offense has been pretty effective as they come into this contest ranked 11th in the league shooting 47.8% from the floor. From the perimeter, the Pelicans don't really look to put up that many shots but when they are taking shots from three point land they are converting on 35.8%. The Pelicans have been strong on the inside as they are generating nearly 55 points in the game per contest which is 6th in the NBA. Defensively in the paint, the Pelicans are right at league average allowing just under 50 points inside per contest. The Pelicans have also benefited from their transition offense, ranked 10th in the league with right around 15 fast break points per game. This has been aided by the Pelicans ability to come away with steals. New Orleans is 2nd in the NBA in steals per game coming away with 8.5 steals per contest. While the offense has been strong in transition, the defense has struggled getting stops in transition as they are in the bottom half of the league, allowing 14.2 fast break points per game. The Pelicans have also been very good holding opponents to single shot possessions as they are sitting 5th in the NBA allowing opponents to come down with just 22.5% of their missed shots.

Best Bets

Full-Game Side Bet

Rating:

The Pelicans have hit a rut of late, but this is a good spot for them to get right. They will have the advantage down low and with Ingram back in the fold, they will have more offensive weapons. Washington has been playing at a high level lately, but have squeaked by in their last two wins. New Orleans showed great life in the second half comeback against the Rockets and I expect that confidence and aggression to carry over to this contest. Take the home chalk here.

New Orleans -4.5

Prediction: New Orleans -4.5

Full-Game Total Pick

Rating:

New Orleans has been playing slower of late, averaging under 100 possessions in their last three games. At home, New Orleans has also been playing slower than their season average. The Pelicans also lead the league in opponent 3-point shooting and are top two in steals per game. Meanwhile the Pelicans also have had trouble taking care of the ball and I expect to see some turnover variance here that will limit the total shots fired up. Washington won't look to push the pace as they are near bottom 10 in the league in possessions per contest. With neither of these teams looking to push the pace and the turnover issues highlighted, the under is the play here.

Under 231.5

Prediction: Under 231.5

I have been a basketball junkie my entire life and I played basketball up and into college, where l eventually hung it up for the last time. I was very competitive and that has translated over into sports wagering. It drove me to look at games and scour over film and trends to find that same advantage. Majoring in technology management in college, l spent hours studying markets and how they operate. While seeming efficient, they almost never are. This allows a savvy participant to exploit opportunities; in other words, to find their edge. Immediately l made the connection between general markets, and betting markets.What l bring to the table is a ceaseless drive to continually find my edge, the ability to capitalize on market movement, and the data, trends, and stats to confirm my assertion. My hunger for success is why you will be happy to read my breakdowns. No stone will go unturned to find you a winner.