Sean Barnard details his preview and prediction for Saturday’s Philadelphia 76ers vs. New Orleans Pelicans NBA matchup.

The Philadelphia 76ers will face off with the New Orleans Pelicans as part of a six-game slate.

This will be the second and final matchup between these cross-conference opponents. They faced off on Jan. 31, which resulted in a 124-114 76ers’ victory. This matchup took place in Philadelphia with Joel Embiid on the floor, so the outlook is different tonight.

The 76ers are 4.5-point favorites and -166 on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Pelicans are +140 underdogs with the game total set at 235.5 points.

This article will look at a preview and prediction for the Saturday night matchup.

76ers vs. Pelicans prediction, preview

The Philadelphia 76ers are 30-25 this season and sit in sixth place in the Eastern Conference. They enter this matchup on a three-game losing streak and fell 117-107 to the Atlanta Hawks in their first game back since the All-Star break. On the season, the Sixers are 30-25 against the spread, and the game total is 28-27 to the over/under.

Embiid will miss tonight’s matchup due to knee and shin issues. This will mark his fourth consecutive game missed, and the Sixers have dropped each of these games. Paul George also remains sidelined as he continues to serve his 25-game suspension for a violation of the NBA’s drug policy. Tyrese Maxey will look to pick up the additional offensive production and add to his season averages of 28.9 points, 6.7 assists and 4.1 rebounds. Third-overall pick VJ Edgecombe adds 15 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists.

Philadelphia is averaging the 14th-most points in the NBA at 116 per contest. The Sixers rank 13th in offensive rating, 24th in field goal percentage, 16th in three-point percentage, and 19th in pace. Opponents are scoring 115.9 points per game against the Sixers, which ranks 17th in the league. They rank 16th in defensive rating, 16th in opponent field goal percentage, and 10th in opponent three-point percentage.

The New Orleans Pelicans sit in 14th place in the Western Conference with a 15-42 record on the year. They suffered a 139-118 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in the first matchup back from the All-Star break, but are 2-2 in their last four matchups. On the season, New Orleans has gone 30-27 against the spread, and the game total is 29-28 to the over/under.

Trey Murphy III, Yves Missi, Micah Potter and Dejounte Murray have been ruled out for tonight. Zion Williamson has avoided the injured list at a more frequent rate this season and is set to play his 32nd consecutive game tonight. Across his 41 games played, the Duke product is averaging 21.9 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists. Saddiq Bey has had a resurgent season, posting averages of 16.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists. First-round rookies Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears have each shown positive flashes.

The Pelicans are scoring 114.6 points per game, which ranks 20th in the league. They rank 24th in offensive rating, 18th in field goal percentage, 26th in three-point percentage, and 13th in pace. Opponents are scoring 120.7 points per game against the Pelicans, which ranks 27th in the league. New Orleans also ranks 27th in defensive rating, 25th in opponents’ field goal percentage, and 11th in opponents’ three-point percentage.

76ers vs. Pelicans pick, best bet

The Sixers showed some promise early on in the season, finding ways to win games even when Embiid was not available. But they have become increasingly dependent on the former MVP as he has been available at a higher rate. Embiid dropped 40 points in the first matchup between these two teams and was vital to getting the victory.

Without their star, expect the outlook to be much more difficult for the Sixers. Maxey has had an excellent season, but has struggled to lift this team to victories as the primary option. Outside of Maxey, the Sixers lack creators who can consistently generate offense. Quentin Grimes and Kelly Oubre Jr. each have their streaks, and Edgecombe has his flashes. But each guy needs the table set for them.

The Pelicans will also be without their top scorer in Murphy, and have had their scoring struggles all season. While my lean is toward the Pelicans producing win at home, I am backing the game total to remain under the 235.5 game line.

The total finished at 238 in the first matchup between these two teams. However, both team’s top scorer was on the floor, and the teams shot 42% and 47% on three-point attempts. The Sixers are shooting 35.5% from the perimeter on the season, while the Pelicans are connecting on just 34.3% of their three-point looks.

Expect these figures to regress to the mean in this matchup and for both offenses to struggle. The pair of teams combine for 230.6 points per game on average. The under has cashed in six of the Pelicans’ last 10 games and four of the Sixers’ last six games played.

Best Bet: Game Total Under 235.5 Points (-112)