A 10-game home winning streak hangs in the balance for the Golden State Warriors (54-13) when they take on the New Orleans Pelicans (37-30). The game starts at 10:30 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 20 and will air on FSN-NO and CSN-BA.
The Warriors won big over the Hawks 114-95 on Wednesday. Andre Iguodala played well, contributing 21 points, six assists, and three steals for the Warriors. The Pelicans, meanwhile, are coming off an 85-84 win over the Bucks on Tuesday. Omer Asik had a good game, recording 16 points and 11 rebounds to claim his 12th double-double of the season.
Over the last five games, Tyreke Evans has been on fire for the Pelicans. During that stretch, he has averaged 19.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.0 block, and 1.2 three-pointers.
This game should be a matchup of contrasting styles. The Warriors (ranked first in the league in possessions per game) prefer a fast-breaking style of play, while the Pelicans (27th) are slow-paced.
The Warriors have won both matchups against the Pelicans this season, including a 128-122 victory in their last matchup. Despite the loss, Jrue Holiday was a top performer in the game with 30 points, three rebounds, nine assists, five steals, one block, and two three-pointers.
The odds are even for this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is presently unavailable. The Warriors look to build on their records of 54-13 Straight Up (SU) and 38-28-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a record of 31-8 SU and 25-14 ATS versus the Western Conference. The Warriors come into the game with the top-ranked scoring offense in the league, averaging 109.7 points per game. The Warriors, sporting the second-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the NBA (1.9), have proven themselves to be an extremely efficient offensive team. Turning to the defensive side, the Warriors are the top team in the league at blocking shots, averaging 6.2 blocks per game. Something to watch out for is if Golden State can force its opponents into turnovers and convert them into baskets. They’ve done an excellent job of that all year with an average of 19.9 points off turnovers per game.
Across the court, New Orleans has a SU record of 37-30 and an ATS record of 38-29. New Orleans has a record of 21-16 SU and 22-15 ATS against the West.
Golden State won the last meeting this season between these two teams, moving its SU record against the Pelicans to 9-1 in their last 10 head-to-head meetings. Additionally, the Warriors lead the matchup ATS with a record of 7-2-1. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, Golden State held the edge in all three of these categories three times in the last 10 meetings. New Orleans did so once.
Predictions: SU Winner – GS, ATS Winner – GS
Notes
New Orleans has allowed an average of 99.5 points per away game this season. Golden State averages 113.5 points per home game, placing the team at the top of the NBA in scoring.
The Golden State Warriors won their last game by 19 points. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, the New Orleans Pelicans are 4-5. Golden State is 19-0 in blowouts this season.
Golden State has a perfect 35-0 record when opponents score fewer than 100 points. The Pelicans do not fare well when they score under 100, earning a 10-22 record in such games.
When the Golden State Warriors allow at least 100 points they are 19-13, while the New Orleans Pelicans are 27-8 when they register triple digits.
The Pelicans have a defensive rating of 104.5 (ranked 25th). The Warriors rank third for their offensive rating of 108.1.
The Golden State Warriors average 101.5 possessions and 1.081 points per possession in games this season. The New Orleans Pelicans average fewer possessions with 94.7, as well as fewer points per possession with 1.053.
The Golden State Warriors have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking first in the league with an EFF% of 53.9%. When their opponents record a similar or higher EFF%, the New Orleans Pelicans have an underachieving 2-12 record.
Golden State averages 27.2 three point attempts per game, and New Orleans attempts 19.3 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Warriors have a dazzling 39-9 record while the Pelicans have a 4-5 record.
The Golden State Warriors are among the best in the league with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.91 (ranked second). Ranking eighth, the New Orleans Pelicans have an A/TO of 1.72.
The Warriors rank eighth in rebounds per game with 44.5, while the Pelicans rank 13th with 43.9 per game.
The New Orleans Pelicans are one of the best offensive rebounding teams, currently ranked eighth for the season. The Golden State Warriors rank near the very top of the league (fourth) in defensive rebounding.
Golden State ranks sixth in forced turnovers with an average rate of 15.6%. New Orleans has a 10-9 record when they suffer a turnover rate equal to or exceeding this.
