Playoff contenders meet in a cross-conference clash Friday as the New Orleans Pelicans (37-25) visit the Philadelphia 76ers (35-27). The Pelicans have won their last two games and sit in the fifth spot in the West, while the 76ers have dropped their last two and now are in the play-in zone. New Orleans won 124-114 in the last matchup between these teams. The 76ers did not have Joel Embiid in that game.
Dyson Daniels remains out for the Pelicans with a knee injury. Philadelphia is still without Embiid, while Tyrese Maxey, De’Anthony Melton and Robert Covington also remain sidelined.
The Pelicans are 8-point favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total coming in at 221.5. New Orleans is -310 on the moneyline while Philadelphia is +250.
Pelicans vs. 76ers, 7 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Pelicans -8
New Orleans is one of the better teams in the league against the spread at 34-27-1 but just 19-18 as a favorite. The Pelicans are 17-13-1 ATS on the road. The 76ers have covered the spread just four times since Embiid has been sidelined but three of those came as an underdog.
This is a relatively big number for a regular season game, which can complicate matters. However, I think the Pelicans are the better team and Philadelphia is down too many players to keep this close. Take New Orleans to win and cover.
Over/Under: Over 221.5
Philadelphia is one of the most over-friendly teams in the league at 35-27, while New Orleans trends to the under at 28-33-1 on overs. The 76ers have gone over their totals in three of the last four games, including the last two games where Maxey was out. The Pelicans went over in their last game to snap a streak of five straight unders. This number is low enough where I feel confident in the over.