The Boston Celtics (11-9) will have their hands full against the top scoring defense in the league when they take on the New Orleans Pelicans (5-15) at the Smoothie King Center. The game starts at 8:00 pm ET on Monday, Dec. 7 and will air on NBA, CNE and FSN.
The Pelicans were victorious over the Cavaliers 114-108 on Friday. Anthony Davis fueled the Pelicans, recording 31 points and 12 rebounds to notch his 11th double-double this season. The Celtics, meanwhile, are coming off a bitter 108-105 loss at the hands of the Spurs on Saturday. Isaiah Thomas had a good shooting night, leading the game with 23 points.
Based on each team’s statistical profile, ball protection could play an integral role in this matchup. The Pelicans commit the fifth-fewest miscues in the NBA (turnover percentage of 13.7%), while the ball-hawking defense of New Orleans forces the most (opponents’ turnover percentage of 18.0%).
The odds are even for this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is 209 points. The Pelicans enter the game with records of 5-15 Straight Up (SU) and 7-13 Against The Spread (ATS). They have gone 1-5 SU and 2-4 ATS against teams from the Eastern Conference.
On the other side, Boston has identical records of 11-9 SU and ATS so far. Boston has records of 3-3 SU and 4-2 ATS against the West. The Celtics are a top-five team in the league at finding the open man with an average of 24.6 assists per game. Boston makes opponents pay for turning the ball over, ranking second in points off turnovers with an average of 21.4 per game.
The Pelicans and the Celtics will be facing off in their first head-to-head contest of the season. When they last met the Celtics were winners, but the Pelicans still lead the head-to-head record, 7-3 SU, over the last 10 matchups. At 5-5, they are even ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – Bos, ATS Winner – Bos, O/U – Over
Notes
New Orleans is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games.
New Orleans is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of New Orleans’s last 7 games at home.
New Orleans is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home.
New Orleans is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Boston.
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of New Orleans’s last 13 games when playing Boston.
New Orleans is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Boston.
New Orleans ranks 10th in points per game with 102.2, while Boston ranks seventh in points allowed with an average of 98.0 given up.
Boston has allowed an average of 100.5 points per away game this season. New Orleans averages 110.1 points per home game, placing the team second in scoring.
The Pelicans have an even 1-1 record in games where they allow fewer than 100 points. The Celtics don’t do well when they score under 100 points, earning a 2-5 record on the season.
The New Orleans Pelicans have an underachieving 4-14 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Boston Celtics are 9-4 when they hit triple digits.
The Pelicans have an offensive rating of 101.8 (ranked 17th). The Celtics rank third for their defensive rating of 97.9.
The Boston Celtics average 101.2 possessions per game and 1.015 points per possession. The New Orleans Pelicans earn fewer possessions with 100.4, but they score more points with 1.018.
New Orleans has an average effective field goal percentage of 49.3%. Boston is an abysmal 2-7 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
The Boston Celtics, ranked fourth in the NBA, average 24.6 assists per game. The New Orleans Pelicans make 21.9 assists (ranked 14th).
The New Orleans Pelicans average 4.8 blocks per game for a rank of 18th. The Boston Celtics rank lower (19th), earning 4.5 blocks each game.
The New Orleans Pelicans rank 28th in offensive rebounding, while the Boston Celtics rank 27th in defensive rebounding.
Averaging 11.3 steals per game, the Boston Celtics are ranked first in the league. The New Orleans Pelicans are a winless 0-1 this season when their opponents commit 11 or more steals.
