Can Spurts Cover the NBA Spread Against Anthony Davis & the Pelicans?

Can Spurts Cover the NBA Spread Against Anthony Davis?

Written by on February 28, 2018

Every year in the NBA, the argument rages about which of the two conferences is the strongest, with solid arguments made for both. As things stand right now, you probably need to give a slight edge to the Western Conference. After all, the top 8 teams in the conference are all on winning streaks of various lengths right now. The Houston Rockets are leading the way with a 13-game win streak, but another team that cannot be ignored right now are the New Orleans Pelicans and their 6-game winning run, but that’s not enough to have the NBA Spread by their side for this contest against the San Antonio Spurs. While this has been a great run that has helped the Pelicans consolidate a playoff position, they are going to get a severe test on Wednesday night when they head into San Antonio to face a Spurs team that currently has the #4 seed locked in. The Spurs are always tough to take down in their own building, which is why San Antonio is coming into this one as a 5 point favorite.

New Orleans at San Antonio NBA Spread & Expert Betting Pick

  • When: Wednesday, February 28 at 8:30 PM EST
  • Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio
  • TV: FSN and FSSW
  • Radio: 99.5 FM (New Orleans) / 1360 AM (San Antonio)
  • Live Stream: NBA League Pass
  • NBA Spread: San Antonio Spurs -5 (Over/Under at 219 points)

Team Records

  • All: New Orleans Pelicans 34-26 / San Antonio Spurs 36-25
  • Home: New Orleans Pelicans 17-12 / San Antonio Spurs 22-6
  • Away: New Orleans Pelicans 17-14 / San Antonio Spurs 14-19
  • ATS: New Orleans Pelicans 31-28-1 / San Antonio Spurs 30-27-4
  • Over/Under: New Orleans Pelicans 36-23-1 / San Antonio Spurs 28-33

Recent Head to Head (Last 10 Games)

  • Record: San Antonio Spurs lead 6-4
  • Score: New Orleans Pelicans 99.00 / San Antonio Spurs 100.20
  • Field Goal Percentage: New Orleans Pelicans 45.16 / San Antonio Spurs 44.83
  • Rebounds: New Orleans Pelicans 43.70 / San Antonio Spurs 44.70
  • 3 Point Shots: New Orleans Pelicans 86-212 / San Antonio Spurs 74-219
  • Steals: New Orleans Pelicans 6.90 / San Antonio Spurs 6.90

Why bet on the New Orleans Pelicans?

This current run of 6 wins in a row has helped the Pelicans move up to #3 in the Western Conference, a game and a half above the playoff line. The Pelicans are now 7-3 in their last 10 games and a good part of their success has been the play of Anthony Davis, who has been averaging over 46 PPG in this run. It looked for a while as though James Harden was a lock for the MVP, but Davis will be sure to get some looks if he continues on his current tear. The Pelicans started this streak with a .500 road record but have since won 3 away from home to take their road record on the year to 17-14. This has been a solid run for the Pelicans, but they are still coming into this one a game under .500 when playing teams with a winning record. The Pelicans are 10-10 as a road underdog this season.

Team Statistics

Offense
  • Total Score: 111.95
  • Field Goal Percentage: 48.22
  • Three-Point Percentage: 36.28
  • Free Throw Percentage: 76.21
  • Total Rebounds: 43.77
Defense
  • Total Score: 111.60
  • Field Goal Percentage: 45.87
  • Three-Point Percentage: 36.21
  • Free Throw Percentage: 79.18
  • Total Rebounds: 45.10

Why bet on the San Antonio Spurs?

The San Antonio Spurs have been one of the most consistent teams in the NBA over the past decade, but they are showing signs of slipping a little this year. They have had some injury issues to deal with, including a major one to Kawhi Leonard, who is expected back as early as March. The Spurs could definitely use his help, as they have not been playing particularly good ball in recent weeks, going just 4-6 in their last 10 games. The NBA Spread favors the Spurs by 5 points. The Spurs are still as good on the defensive side of the court and are one of only two teams who is giving up less than 100 PPG this season. The bad news is that they are way down the rankings in scoring, averaging 102 PPG. They have not been particularly good against teams with winning records, going just 13-20 in those games.

Team Statistics

Offense
  • Total Score: 102.00
  • Field Goal Percentage: 45.87
  • Three-Point Percentage: 35.80
  • Free Throw Percentage: 77.38
  • Total Rebounds: 44.23
Defense
  • Total Score: 98.80
  • Field Goal Percentage: 45.03
  • Three-Point Percentage: 34.70
  • Free Throw Percentage: 75.09
  • Total Rebounds: 42.21

Latest NBA Betting Trends

  • New Orleans is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
  • New Orleans is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
  • The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Orleans’s last 6 games
  • San Antonio is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
  • San Antonio is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
  • The total has gone OVER in 6 of San Antonio’s last 7 games

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

The Spurs are 6-3 in their last 9 games against the Pelicans, although they were soundly beaten by them in their meeting earlier this season. I like the Spurs to get revenge here, albeit only just. Score: New Orleans Pelicans 102 – San Antonio Spurs 104