The Portland Trail Blazers (9-15) and New Orleans Pelicans (3-22) meet Thursday at 8 p.m. ET at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NBA odds around the Trail Blazers vs. Pelicans odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: Trail Blazers lead 1-0 with a 125-117 road win Nov. 12
The Trail Blazers lost to the Memphis Grizzlies 119-96 Sunday, failing to cover as a 2-point road underdog as the Under (232.5) cashed. F Jerami Grant led the way for Portland, scoring 21 points on 5-for-16 shooting. Having lost 5 of their last 6 games, the Trail Blazers have performed well for bettors of late, going 7-3 against the spread (ATS) across their last 10 contests. They are 13-10-1 ATS on the season.
The Pelicans suffered their seventh straight defeat Monday, losing 135-132 to the San Antonio Spurs. They did cover as an 8-point home underdog with the Over (238.5) hitting with ease. C Derik Queen notched a triple-double in the loss with 33 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. New Orleans has gone 1-11 over its last 12 games, but is 9-3 ATS in those. It is 13-10-2 ATS on the season.
Trail Blazers at Pelicans odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 6:34 a.m. ET.
Moneyline (ML): Trail Blazers -190 (bet $190 to win $100) | Pelicans +154 (bet $100 to win $154)Against the spread (ATS): Trail Blazers -4.5 (-110) | Pelicans +4.5 (-110)Over/Under (O/U): 239.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)Trail Blazers at Pelicans key injuries
Trail Blazers
C Donovan Clingan (leg) outG Scoot Henderson (hamstring) outC Robert Williams III (illness) out
Pelicans
G Dejounte Murray (achilles) outG Jordan Poole (quad) questionableF Zion Williamson (adductor) out
For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.
Trail Blazers at Pelicans picks and predictionsPrediction
Trail Blazers 118, Pelicans 116
PASS.
Avoid this wager. The Pelicans (+154) have some value, but the preferred route is to bet the spread.
BET PELICANS +4.5 (-110).
New Orleans has been on fire as an underdog, covering in 5 of its last 6 games as the underdog. The Pelicans are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 home games as well.
The Trail Blazers started the season hot, but have since cooled off drastically. Their offense has been inconsistent as well, scoring 102 or fewer in 3 of their last 8 games. They are 0-6-1 ATS across their last 7 games as a favorite.
Considering those trends, expect the underdog to cover and take PELICANS +4.5 (-110).
BET UNDER 239.5 (-105).
Neither side defends well, but the bigger concern is neither side has a consistent offense. The Trail Blazers have topped 120 points just once in their last 8 games. They are 3-5 O/U in that span. The Pelicans offense has scored 116 points or fewer in half of their last 6 games.
With both teams in the bottom half of the league in offensive rating, expect an abundance of missed shots in this one. Take UNDER 239.5 (-110).
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.
Access more NBA coverage:
HoopsHype | Celtics Wire | Nets Wire | Rockets Wire | Sixers Wire | Thunder Wire | Warriors Wire | LeBron Wire | Rookie Wire | List Wire