The New Orleans Pelicans and Boston Celtics meet in Beantown on Thursday for the second time this season. Boston took Game 1 of the season series 117-109 on the road and hopes to go back-to-back now that they’re on their home court.
Let’s check the latest NBA odds, stats, injury report and NBA lines for Pelicans vs Celtics. We’ve plenty of NBA betting odds for you to consider.
Pelicans Down Two Superstars
We usually end on injuries, but for the Pelicans right now, it’s the logical place to start. Both Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram will miss tonight’s game and perhaps many more to come.
I don’t care who you are; winning without two of your top three scorers is not easy, especially when pitted against one of the best teams in the NBA.
The Pelicans find themselves in such a situation tonight, which explains their line as +9 ½ point underdogs.
The question becomes, are the Pelicans that bad without Ingram and Williamson? At 2-4 in their previous six games, the answer may be yes. However, there are some bright spots.
Naji Marshall has emerged from this mess as a solid scoring option out of three spots in the absence of Ingram and Williamson. He entered the new year averaging 10.0 points per game but picked up the pace over the last two weeks with these injuries mounting. In five games since the start of January, Marshall is averaging 18.2 PPG.
Additionally, C.J. McCollum kicked his game into high gear, raising his scoring average from 20.8 PPG to 29.1 PPG in the last two weeks. He dropped 42 on the Sixers during that span and 34 on Monday against the Wizards.
The Pels ATS record isn’t excellent, but they covered by 21.5 points on Monday night. If McCollum and Marshall can keep it up and get some help, watch out for this team when everyone gets healthy.
Celtics Also Shorthanded
While we know who will be out on Wednesday for the Pelicans, the Celtics’ injury situation is a bit harder to nail down.
Their injury report includes Robert Willaims III and Marcus Smart. Should both miss Wednesday’s game, specifically Smart, it will affect the Celtics on defense more than offense. Smart is the team’s fifth scorer, while Williams averages just 7.7 PPG. However, Smart leads the team in steals, while Williams is the best blocker on the team. This may seem like not a big deal, but without their defense intact, the Celtics are vulnerable.
The Celtics are on a three-game winning streak and 7-2 in their previous nine, but their betting record ATS could be better. In their last three home games, the Celtics lost bettors -1.20 units with a 1-2 ATS record.
While both Williams and Smart could play, it makes more sense for the Celtics to hold them out until Thursday night when they face the Nets on the second night of a back-to-back. A win over Brooklyn would be much more significant for the division and conference races.
Pelicans vs Celtics Game Injuries
Pelicans vs Celtics Head-to-Head
The Boston Celtics won the first game of this season series, 117-109, back in November. It was Boston’s third win in a row, dating back to 2021. The Under is 4-0 in the last three games between these teams.
Pelicans vs Celtics Game Information
- Game: Pelicans (25-16) vs Celtics (29-12)
- Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA
- Day/Time: Wednesday, Jan. 11, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Pelicans vs Celtics Live stream: NBA Game Pass
Pelicans vs Celtics Betting Lines
Pelicans vs Celtics Picks and Prediction
The Celtics may be incentivized to “take it easy” tonight and rest Smart and Williams with a much more critical game tomorrow night. With the Pelicans playing better, and a massive spread, we recommend taking a shot on the underdogs to keep things close.
New Orleans is listed at +340 in our Vegas NBA lines. If you wager $100 on the Pelicans, you can win $340. Boston is -450, offering a chance to win $22 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives New Orleans a 22.73% chance to win, with the Celtics at 81.82%.
Pelicans vs Celtics Trends
Pelicans vs Celtics Edge
Pelicans vs Celtics Results
Pelicans vs Celtics Game Summary
Celtics vs Pelicans Previous (Nov 18, 2022)
Talent-wise, these are some of the best rosters in the NBA. However, the big difference is that the Celtics have been playing together longer, and with how they have performed over this winning streak, it is hard to see them losing any time soon. The Pelicans have some length and players who could annoy the Celtics stars, but this could quickly turn into an exciting back-and-forth, high-scoring game.
The Celtics just seem unbeatable now, and even on the road, they have won four straight. However, the Pelicans will be one of their biggest tests in some time.
