Zion Williamson will not be caught falling asleep on the bench this week. The Duke star is all set to play in his first regular-season game in the pros this Wednesday against the visiting San Antonio Spurs, who’ll be a nice test for the freakishly athletic power forward. Read on for more about this upcoming showdown in New Orleans.
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Betting Preview for the San Antonio Spurs vs. New Orleans Pelicans NBA Regular Season Game on January 22, 2020
Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans
When: Wednesday, January 22, 2020, 9:30 PM ET
Line: San Antonio Spurs (Odds) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (Odds) – view all 2020 NBA lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the San Antonio Spurs (18-23)
The Spurs prevented a three-game losing skid with a rousing 107-102 home win over the Miami Heat last Sunday. The tandem of LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan carried the bulk of the scoring for the Spurs against Miami, with 21 and 20 points, respectively, while Patty Mills and Marcus Belinelli combined for 30 points off the bench. DeRozan has been playing out of his mind of late. The former Toronto Raptor swingman is averaging 27.2 points on 59 percent shooting from the field over the Spurs’ last five games. Meanwhile, Aldridge is putting up 19.0 points on 50.7 percent shooting during the same span. Aldridge may find himself having a field day in the paint, with the Pelicans lacking an imposing post defender outside of Derrick Favors. Also, the Pelicans are allowing 52.5 points in the paint per game, third-most among all teams in the NBA. That could also mean wider driving lanes for DeRozan, who remains as of one of the best slashers in the league today.
The Spurs are 2-0 straight-up in the last two meetings with New Orleans.
Betting on the New Orleans Pelicans (16-27)
The day everyone in New Orleans has been waiting for so long is finally set to arrive, as Zion Williamson is expected to make his regular-season debut in the NBA this Wednesday at home against the Spurs. Williamson, last year’s top overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, appears to have gotten over the right knee issue that has sidelined him since Day 1 of the regular season. While people still await how well Williamson is going to turn out in the NBA, the Pelicans surely could use a boost from the energy the former Duke Blue Devil is going to provide. However, Williamson is likely to have his playing time restricted as he tries to get accumulated to the game’s pace following a long layoff. The Pelicans are also still dealing with at least a couple of health issues. Jahlil Okafor and Jrue Holiday are both questionable for Monday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies. It’s the same case for sharpshooter JJ Reddick, who’s reportedly nursing a strained left elbow. In any case, the Pelicans’ offense will mainly be revolving around Brandon Ingram, who is leading his team with 25.6 points per game.
The Pelicans are 6-0 against the spread (ATS) in their last six home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Williamson puts up 23-points but the Spurs win, 117-111.
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