New Orleans Pelicans vs San Antonio Spurs Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 05/04/2024, 06:00  by Devesh Jaganath | Modified on 05/04/2024 at 06:52 in NBA Predictions

The San Antonio Spurs will make the trip to the Smoothie King Center to take on the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA on Friday night. The hosts are 45-31 and seventh in the Western Conference, while the visitors are 18-58 and bottom of the Conference standings. 

The San Antonio Spurs currently occupy the bottom spot in the Western Conference and are set to finish the season as a mere formality before turning their attention to the NBA Draft Lottery in May as they aim to rebuild their team around last year's number-one pick, Victor Wembanyama. Despite their position, the Spurs have shown signs of improvement, winning three consecutive games before narrowly falling short against the Nuggets in a 110-105 road defeat on Tuesday. Malaki Branham led the team with 24 points on 10 of 19 shooting, while Victor Wembenyama contributed 23 points along with 15 rebounds, eight assists, and nine blocks. Offensively, the Spurs have struggled, averaging 112.1 points per game, which ranks them 22nd in the NBA. Defensively, they have fared slightly better but still allow an average of 119.1 points per game, placing them 25th overall in points allowed. The Spurs have six players listed on their injury report, including Cedi Osman, Charles Bassey, and Devin Vassell.

Just a few weeks ago, the New Orleans Pelicans appeared to be in a strong position, poised to potentially secure a top-four spot in the Western Conference and homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. However, the loss of star forward Brandon Ingram has had a significant impact, causing the Pelicans to slide down to the seventh spot in the standings. This places them in contention for the play-in round unless they can overtake either Dallas or Phoenix ahead of them. On Wednesday, the Pelicans suffered a defeat to the Magic, losing 117-108. CJ McCollum led the team with an impressive 36 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists, while Dyson Daniels contributed 16 points off the bench, and Zion Williamson added 15 points and five assists. Offensively, New Orleans is averaging 115.1 points per game, ranking 13th in the league. However, their defense has been a bright spot, allowing an average of just 110.6 points against per game, which is the eighth-best record in the NBA. Zion Williamson and Jose Alvarado will be game-time decisions while Brandon Ingram remains sidelined.