The New Orleans Pelicans (25-17) travel to face the Detroit Pistons (12-33) Friday night in their second and final meeting of the season. While the Pistons have struggled all season, the Pelicans are in the middle of a rough patch due to injuries to two of their stars, losing five of their last seven.
On Wednesday, the Pelicans lost to the Boston Celtics 125-114, with the defense struggling against the opponent’s star players and not having the offense to keep up. Meanwhile, the Pistons ended a three-game losing streak, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 135-118.
Let’s check the latest NBA odds, stats, injury report and NBA lines for Pelicans vs Pistons. We’ve plenty of NBA betting odds for you to consider.
Pelicans Need Stars Back
While Zion Williamson has been healthier than in other seasons, playing in 29 out of 42 games, he has missed the last five with a hamstring injury. On top of that, Brandon Ingram missed the previous month with a toe injury.
The Pelicans managed without Ingram for a while because the team’s bench is talented, and when Williamson was healthy, he played at an elite level. They managed to become the No.1 seed in the Western Conference, but now with both out, it has been a challenge to stay on top.
CJ McCollum has been trying to make up for their absence, having at least 25 points in his last five games. He is averaging 30.8 points per game during this stretch, along with 34 to beat the Washington Wizards and 38 in the loss to the Celtics in the last two games.
Their two recent wins over this seven-game stretch have been against the bottom half of the league, which plays to the advantage of the Pelicans. Without their stars, they can’t match up with the top teams but are talented enough to keep afloat on lesser opponents.
Pistons Can Be Sneaky
The Pistons may have the third-worst record in the NBA, but that does not mean they are void of talent. They have a young core that can compete in games and offensively has the talent to sneak up on teams if given a chance.
That is what happened Wednesday in the last game against the Timberwolves. The Pistons scored at least 31 points in every quarter, as five players were over 15 points. The two players linked in trade rumors, Bojan Bogdanović and Saddiq Bey, had a great game. Bogdanović scored 27 points and filled up the stat sheet, while Bey was the game’s top scorer with 31.
The makeshift backcourt of Killian Hayes and rookie Jaden Ivey wasn’t bad, either. They both finished with 18 points and made all the right passes, Hayes with nine assists to three turnovers, and Ivey with eight to two. After Cade Cunningham went down for the season, it has been hard to recreate his numbers, but it has allowed Hayes and Ivey to grow into their own.
The Pistons are still not good, but they at least have talent that other teams see as valuable enough to trade for, which allows them to be a sneaky upset team if they get hot one night.
Pelicans vs Pistons Game Injuries
Pelicans vs Pistons Head-to-Head
The Pelicans have beaten the Pistons in their four meetings, including one this season. On Dec. 7, the Pelicans won 104-98 at home behind Williamson’s 29 points and 10 rebounds.
Pelicans vs Pistons Game Information
- Game: Pelicans (25-17) vs Pistons (12-33)
- Location: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
- Day/Time: Friday, Jan. 13, 7:00 p.m. EST
- Pelicans vs Pistons Live Stream: NBA Game Pass
Pelicans vs Pistons Betting Lines
Pelicans vs Pistons Picks & Prediction
The Pelicans won’t be a team on which the Pistons can sneak up. For one reason, without their two stars, the Pelicans need to be ready for every game. Also, with the way that McCollum is carrying the team right now, that should be more than enough to beat the Pistons.
The Pistons have an offense that could keep this game close, but the Pelicans are still just a more talented team and should be able to get this win on the road.
The New Orleans Pelicans are listed at -190 in our Vegas NBA lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Pelicans, you have a chance to win $53. The Detroit Pistons is +163, offering a chance to win $163 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the New Orleans Pelicans a 65.52% chance to win, with the Detroit Pistons at 38.02%.
Pelicans vs Pistons Trends
Pelicans vs Pistons Edge
Pelicans vs Pistons Results
Pelicans vs Pistons Game Summary
Pistons vs Pelicans Previous Game (Dec. 07, 2022)
The Detroit Pistons and New Orleans Pelicans have to be feeling pretty good about themselves entering their Wednesday night matchup in New Orleans. The Pistons are coming off an easy road win – just their third all season – while the Pelicans have a four-game win streak on the line.
These talented squads should put together a rather exciting game while presenting us with a wonderful opportunity for some online gambling.
This is the biggest spread on the NBA lineup Wednesday night, and for good reason. The Pelicans are one of the hottest teams in the league and they’ve been lying in wait for two days at home.
Detroit is looking a lot better of late, but finishing up a back-to-back against a squad like New Orleans is a tall order. Take the Pelicans in a runaway win.
