A lot of people doubted that the New Orleans Pelicans would survive the first round, but they did. Now, they face a tougher challenge in the form of the Golden State Warriors, who may or may not have Stephen Curry back for Game 1 of the second round this Saturday. Will the Pelicans remain undefeated in this postseason? Or will the Warriors sustain their unblemished playoffs record against Anthony Davis? The Warriors swept New Orleans in the first round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs.
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Betting Preview for New Orleans Pelicans vs Golden State Warriors NBA Western Conference Playoffs Round 2 Game 1 on April 28, 2018
When: Oracle Arena, Oakland CA
When: Saturday, April 28, 6 PM ET
Line: New Orleans Pelicans (point spread) vs Golden State Warriors (point spread) – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: TNT
Betting on the New Orleans Pelicans
Anthony Davis and the Pelicans are riding a big wave of momentum and confidence after sweeping Portland in the first round. Only a few gave the Pellies to outlast Portland, but here they are, preparing for a playoff battle with the defending champions. Davis was an absolute nightmare for the Blazers, as he averaged 33.0 points and 11.8 rebounds in that series. Those are almost identical numbers he put up in the three games he went up against Golden State in the regular season during which he had 33.0 points and 14.0 rebounds. Davis aside, the Pelicans have many other offensive weapons to keep engage Golden State in a firefight. Nikola Mirotic adds a new dimension to the team’s offense with his range, while the backcourt of Jrue Holiday and Rajon Rondo has been among the best in these playoffs. Mirotic averaged 28.0 points with 54.5 3-point shooting percentage versus the Blazers. Holiday put up 24.0 points, while Rondo chipped in only 7.3 points but dished out 11.3 dimes.
The Pelicans, who are averaging 114.0 points this postseason, are 5-0 SU and ATS in their last five road games.
Betting on the Golden State Warriors
The biggest question for the Warriors heading into the second round of the playoffs is whether two-time league MVP Stephen Curry is finally going to make his first appearance in this postseason this Saturday. Curry has not played since March because of a knee issue, though, he’s been observed as having done well in his recovery process. Even without Curry, however, the Warriors had an easy time toying with the Spurs in the first round in which they averaged 105.6 points on 47.8 percent shooting from the field. The Pelicans are a deadlier offensive team than San Antonio, so the Warriors will probably feel his absence, especially if New Orleans’ offense begins to click. But at least they have Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson. Durant put up 28.2 points per game in the first round, while Thompson had 22.6. Golden State also seems to have the better bench, as its second stringers have averaged 27.4 points this postseason, while the Pelicans’ relievers only nets 16.8 per game.
The Warriors are 9-1 SU and 6-4 ATS in their last 10 home games against New Orleans.
Writer’s Prediction
New Orleans wins, 111-108.
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