The New Orleans Pelicans (5-6) square off with the Phoenix Suns (2-9) at the Smoothie King Center. The game starts at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, November 10, 2018, and will air on Fox Sports – Arizona.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 228 points with New Orleans opening as a 10-point favorite.
Phoenix Suns vs. New Orleans Pelicans ATS Prediction
The last time the Suns played, they were beaten by the Boston Celtics, 116-109, but they did cover as 10-point underdogs. The game’s total points (225) finished over the O/U total of 215. Boston won the rebounding battle. The Celtics had 17 offensive rebounds and 56 total rebounds, while the Suns had four and 42, respectively. Devin Booker was Phoenix’s leading scorer with 38 points on 15-for-30 shooting.
The Pelicans defeated the Chicago Bulls in their last outing, 107-98, but failed to cover as 11-point favorites. The game’s combined points (205) came in well under the projected point total of 227.5. New Orleans’ offensive rebounding percentage was their largest strength over Chicago. The Pelicans had a rate of 22.0 (below their season average of 24.9), while the Bulls posted a mark of 13.7 (below the 21.2 mark opponents have averaged against New Orleans this season). Anthony Davis was the game’s high scorer with 32 points on 13-for-24 shooting from the field.
After the Pelicans won all three matchups against the Suns last season, these teams will clash for the first time this year. In the most recent matchup, New Orleans won 122-103. New Orleans made 16 of its 38 three pointers (42.1 percent). Phoenix, meanwhile, did an excellent job of making free throws (20-26; 76.9 percent).
Phoenix holds records of 2-9 straight up (SU) and 5-6 against the spread (ATS). Just over half of the Suns’ games have finished under the total.
Meanwhile, New Orleans is 5-6 SU and 4-7 ATS. Of the Pelicans’ 11 games, six have finished over the O/U total.
Jrue Holiday has averaged 22.4 points, 10.0 assists and 1.2 steals over the last five games for New Orleans.
The productive offense of New Orleans will battle against the mid-tier defense of Phoenix. The Pelicans currently rank eighth in offensive efficiency, while the Suns are 27th in defensive efficiency. The Pelicans should have the advantage on that side of the ball.
Phoenix Suns vs. New Orleans Pelicans Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Pelicans, ATS Winner – Pelicans, O/U – Under
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Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Phoenix is 1-3 ATS with 2 overs and 2 unders.
At home, New Orleans is 2-3 ATS with 2 overs, 2 unders and 1 push.
When allowing under 100 points, New Orleans is 1-0.
The Pelicans are 5-5 when they reach the century mark, while the Suns are 2-4.
New Orleans averages 26.7 assists per game, which ranks third in the NBA. Phoenix ranks 28th in assists allowed per game (26.5).
The Pelicans rank second in points in the paint per game (59.5) while the Suns rank 25th (42.5).
New Orleans ranks ninth in second chance points per game (14.4) while Phoenix ranks 27th (9.5).
The Pelicans rank 16th in fast break points per game (12.7) while the Suns rank last in fast break points allowed per game (21.2).
New Orleans ranks 13th in points off turnovers allowed per game (16.6) while Phoenix ranks 25th (22.6).
The Pelicans rank 15th in steals per game (7.3) while the Suns rank 23rd in steals allowed per game (10.7).
Bettings Trends:
In its last five games, Phoenix is 3-2 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
New Orleans is 0-5 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders over its last five games.
The Suns’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 13.2, up from 12.6 for the season.
During their last five games, the Pelicans have scored an average of 111.6 points per game (5.9 below their season average) and allowed an average of 118.4 points per game (0.2 below their season average).
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