San Antonio Spurs vs. New Orleans Pelicans Picks, Predictions and Odds NBA Play-In April 14

Following a strong finish to the season, the San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans will battle for one of the final spots in the NBA playoffs. Get to know our picks and predictions for the first play-in game between them.

The San Antonio Spurs (34-48 SU) and (44-37-1 ATS) have been one of the most profitable teams of the campaign, finishing the regular season with a 9-1 ATS run despite Dejounte Murray missing some time with an illness.

Gregg Popovich’s team played an up-tempo offense for most of the year, ranking 5th in pace and 8th in points per game at 113.2. However, they also allowed the 8th-most points per game this season at 113.0, and that may not be sustainable with the season on the line.

The New Orleans Pelicans (36-46 SU) and (41-40-1 ATS), on the other hand, weren’t as consistent towards the end of the season, finishing just 6-4 ATS in their final 10 matchups. Even so, their revamped offense with CJ McCollum at the helm has shown greats signs of promise as of late.

The Pelicans were 21st in the league in points per game at just 109.3 PPG but their defense surely performed better than expected (110.3 points allowed per game), with Herb Jones establishing himself as one of the league’s most versatile stoppers.

Here are my picks and predictions for Wednesday’s NBA matchup between the Spurs and the Pelicans. (Odds via BetMGM)

San Antonio Spurs vs New Orleans Pelicans Game Info

Date/Time: Wednesday, April 13, 2022, 9:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Location: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans

San Antonio Spurs vs New Orleans Pelicans Odds Analysis

The Spurs enter this game as a 5-point underdog. This is the second time this season that they’re underdogs against the Pelicans. Notably, they’ve covered the spread 3 out of 4 times this season.

The game total is set at a whopping 227.5 points, a mark they only topped once in three meetings this season. Moreover, three of their four meetings saw the total fall under.

San Antonio Spurs vs New Orleans Pelicans Picks

Now, the moment we were all waiting for. Here, we share with you our picks and predictions for this exciting matchup. For more expert picks on the NBA play-in tournament, visit our special NBA picks page.

New Orleans Pelicans Cover The -5 Spread @-110 (Odds via BetMGM)

The Pelicans didn’t finish the season on the highest note, yet they boast a much-better defensive team than the Spurs. Some expect Gregg Popovich to outcoach Willie Green again after taking 3 out of 4 meetings this season, yet San Antonio lack the talent and defensive weapons to contain the trio of CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram, and Jonas Valanciunas on the road.

McCollum is averaging over 22 points per game while shooting nearly 40% from the floor. Outside of Dejounte Murray (21 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists), the Spurs lack an efficient scorer and don’t pose any sort of a threat from beyond the arc.

The Pelicans did get a couple of big wins over the Lakers to finish the season and are the more talented team in this matchup.

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Under 227.5 Total Points @-110 (Odds via BetMGM)

While the Spurs have played an up-tempo offense this season, Popovich has made a living out of his physical, tough defense throughout the years, especially come playoff time. We expect them to try and control the tempo of this game and limit their touches on the backcourt.

Coach Green has built the Pelicans’ roster through their defense. They’re not an explosive three-point shooting team and run a lot of pick-and-roll with McCollum and Valanciunas. They don’t like to push the pace.

Three of their four meetings this season fell below the total and this will be the highest total for any of their games this season, including a 103-107 game the last time they faced off.

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