Southwest Division foes will battle when the New Orleans Pelicans (9-8) take on the San Antonio Spurs (11-6) at Smoothie King Center. The Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 208 points with New Orleans set as a 2-point favorite. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, November 22, 2017, and it can be seen on Fox Sports – New Orleans.
San Antonio Spurs vs. New Orleans Pelicans ATS Preview
The Spurs defeated the Atlanta Hawks in their last outing, 96-85. LaMarcus Aldridge was the top scorer from either team with 22 points on 11-for-24 shooting. San Antonio played a nearly flawless game. They had a free throw rate of 0.067 (below their season average of 0.190) and an offensive rebounding percentage of 32.6 (above their season average of 25.7). For those same stats, Atlanta had marks of 0.035 and 19.1, respectively.
In the Pelicans last matchup, they topped the Oklahoma City Thunder, 114-107. New Orleans received a boost from Anthony Davis, who was the games leading scorer with 36 points on 9-for-19 shooting. New Orleans dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had a superb free throw rate of 0.313 (above their season average of 0.188) and an effective field goal percentage of 0.556 (above their season average of 0.540). Oklahoma City was 0.225 and 0.489, respectively, for those same stats.
It will be a matchup of conflicting styles as the up-tempo Pelicans will look to push the slower-paced Spurs. The Pelicans currently rank sixth in possessions per game while the Spurs are 29th.
Of San Antonios 17 games, 10 have finished under the O/U total, while 9 of New Orleans 17 games have finished over the projected point total. The Spurs have the superior straight up (SU) record (11-6 vs. 9-8), but the Pelicans hold the substantial advantage against the spread (ATS) (10-7 vs. 9-7-1).
This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. The Spurs won three out of four matchups played against each other last season. In the most recent game, San Antonio won 101-98. The Spurs dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had a superb turnover percentage of 9.4 and an offensive rebounding percentage of 21.6. For those same stats, the Pelicans put up marks of 13.6 and 16.0, respectively.
San Antonio Spurs at New Orleans Pelicans Free Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Pelicans, ATS Winner – Spurs, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Spurs rank third in second chance points per game (15.3) while the Pelicans rank 16th (12.5).
- San Antonio ranks fifth in rebounds allowed per game (41.5) while New Orleans ranks 16th (44.0).
- San Antonio ranks seventh in assists per game (23.3) while New Orleans ranks 20th in assists allowed per game (23.4).
- San Antonio averages 16.7 points off turnovers per game, which ranks 19th in the league. New Orleans ranks 21st in points off turnovers allowed per game (18.9).
- San Antonio is 1-5-1 ATS on the road with 5 unders and 2 overs.
- New Orleans is 4-4 ATS at home with 4 overs and 4 unders.
- In games where they hold opponents under 100 points, New Orleans is 2-0 and San Antonio is 7-3.
- The Spurs are 8-0 when they score above 100 points, while the Pelicans are 7-4.
- The Spurs rank 13th in fast break points allowed per game (10.8) while the Pelicans rank 25th (12.6).
- San Antonio ranks third in three pointers allowed per game (25.7) while New Orleans ranks 26th (31.9).
- The Pelicans rank second in points in the paint per game (53.3) while the Spurs rank 19th (42.1).
- The Spurs average 7.5 steals per game, which ranks 18th in the league. The Pelicans rank 23rd in steals allowed per game (8.6).
- San Antonio ranks second in blocks per game (6.2) while New Orleans ranks 17th (4.5).
Bettings Trends:
New Orleans is 2-3 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders in their last five games.
Over their last five games, San Antonio is 3-2 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
The Pelicans’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 5.0, up from 1.6 for the season.
During their last five games, the Spurs have scored an average of 103.2 points per game (1.9 above their season average) and allowed an average of 93.8 points per game (4.4 below their season average).
