San Antonio Spurs vs. New Orleans Pelicans Preview
Where: Smoothie King Center — New Orleans, Louisiana
When: Friday, January 27, 2017, 8:00 PM ET
Line: San Antonio Spurs vs. New Orleans Pelicans – view all NBA lines
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Betting on the San Antonio Spurs (36-9)
There’s just no stopping San Antonio right now. The Spurs extended their winning streak to five games with a thrilling 108-106 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday. Five players scored in double-figures for the Spurs who pulled off the victory even without three of their usual starters (Tony Parker, Kawhi Leonard, Pau Gasol). Leading the way for the Spurs in this game was LaMarcus Aldridge. He stepped up big time in the trio’s absence, dropping a team-high 21 points against the Raptors. Aldridge has been superb for the five-time NBA champions, averaging 17.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game this season.
The Spurs will look to sustain the momentum of that huge win when they lock horns with the New Orleans Pelicans this coming Friday. They will fancy their chances of doing just that as they have fared extremely well on the road this season. The Spurs, who are now 20-4 on the road after beating Toronto, are just the eighth team in NBA history to win at least 20 of their first 24 road games in one season.
There’s also great news on the injury front for head coach as Gregg Popovich as Leonard (hand) and Parker (ankle) are slated to return for Friday’s ballgame. Leonard has been a vital cog in San Antonio’s success this season, leading the team not only in scoring (25.5 PPG) but also in steals (1.8 SPG) as well. Parker, on the other hand, remains the chief facilitator of the Spurs’ offense, averaging a team-best 4.8 dimes per game this campaign.
The Spurs are 7-3 SU and ATS in their last 10 road games.
Betting on the New Orleans Pelicans (18-28)
The New Orleans Pelicans were sent crashing back to earth on Wednesday night as they suffered a stinging 114-105 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Pelicans had difficulty stopping Russell Westbrook who recorded his 60th career triple-double. With the defeat, the Pelicans have now lost seven of their last 11 games.
To make matters worse for New Orleans, the injury bug hit Anthony Davis once again in that ballgame. He missed the second half of that loss to OKC after aggravating a right thigh bruise, the same injury that kept him out of Monday’s shock win over Cleveland. The 23-year-old has already missed four games this season, including one for planned rest, and now parts of nine. Davis, who missed a career-high 21 games last season, is a major doubt for Friday’s showdown against the Spurs.
With Davis possibly sidelined, the onus is on Terrence Jones to deliver the goods against San Antonio. He’s averaging 24 points and 7.5 rebounds over his last two games. Another guy who’s expected to contribute against the Spurs is Jrue Holiday. He scored 14 points and dished out eight assists in the loss to the Thunder. They will have their work cut out for them, however, against the Spurs who have beaten the Pelicans by an average of 16 points in their first two meetings this season.
The Pelicans are 6-4 SU and 5-5 ATS in their last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
The Spurs ease past the Pelicans, 104-93.
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