New Orleans Pelicans vs Philadelphia 76ers Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 29/11/2023, 06:51  by Joseph King | Modified on 29/11/2023 at 06:51 in NBA Predictions

The 12-5 Philadelphia 76ers take on the 9-9 New Orleans Pelicans for this Wednesday night matchup in the NBA. The Sixers are fourth in the Eastern Conference although trail the first-place Celtics by just 1.5 games. The Pelicans, on the other hand, are down to ninth in the West and are 2.0 games behind the Kings for a top-six spot. Philadelphia comes into this game off the back of two straight wins following a massive 138-94 blowout victory over the Lakers on Monday. The Joel Embiid + Tyrese Maxey combo combined for 61 points, 19 assists and 14 rebounds on a night where the Sixers shot 50.5% from the field and 47.8% from three. Despite sitting fourth in the East standings, Philly’s advanced metrics has them placed as one of the elite teams in the NBA. They’re currently the top-ranked team in adjusted offensive rating and rank sixth in adjusted defensive rating.

The Pelicans have been a streaky team through the first 20% of the NBA season. They started out 4-1 on the year before hitting an ugly five game winning streak. Most recently they’ve lost their last two consecutive games on the trot after winning five of six earlier in the month. The Pelicans now sit at .500 with a 9-9 record and ninth in the West. They most recently played in a double-header with the Utah Jazz which saw the Pels lose both games, the most recent of which finished 114-112. The Pelicans had strong performances from both Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson who dropped 25 and 26 points, respectively. However, the lack of high-level guard play is evident since CJ McCollum went down earlier in the month with a collapsed lung. The Pels have won just five of 12 contests without McCollum on the season, although the 32-year-old is expected to participate in shootaround and could be available for this one.