A Sunday afternoon matinee takes place in the NBA when the New Orleans Pelicans (43-27, 5th in the West) travels to face the Detroit Pistons (12-58, 15th in the East). The Pelicans just won easily on the road in Miami, beating the Heat 111-88 as 2.5 point underdogs. Detroit is coming off a home loss to the East-leading Celtics, 129-102, failing to rank as a 13.5-point underdog. These teams met in November, with the Pelicans winning by nine behind 33 points from CJ McCollum. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. EST from Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
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Pelicans win four out of five
The New Orleans Pelicans have won four of their last five games, and are currently 5th in the West, a game and a half behind the Clippers. The Pelicans beat the Clippers in their recent run and also have wins against the Blazers, Nets and Heat, with their only loss coming against the Magic. New Orleans destroyed Miami in its last game, as CJ McCollum heated up and hit six threes en route to a 30-point game.
Brandon Ingram suffered a bone bruise in his knee and will likely be out for two weeks. Zion Williamson is the Pelicans’ leading scorer and will need to continue playing at a high level without Ingram. Zion is averaging 22.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG and 5.0 APG, but only scored four points in 25 minutes last game against the Heat. CJ McCollum is a good outside shooter, he averages 18.5 PPG and connects on 3.3 three-pointers per game on 41.5% shooting from deep. Trey Murphy III steps into the starting lineup whenever there is an injury, he is averaging 14.1 PPG and 4.1 RPG on the season. Jonas Valanciunas starts at center and gets 12.5 PPG and 9.2 RPG.
Herb Jones starts as a perimeter defender with length, he also scores 11.1 PPG. Jose Alvarado and Naji Marshall get the most minutes off the bench. The Pelicans rank 11th in offensive efficiency and 5th in defensive efficiency according to dunksandtrois.com. They play at the 16th fastest pace in the league.
Injury Report:
Releases: Brandon Ingram, Dyson Daniels
The pistons fall five times in a row
The Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards are battling to see who will finish last in the East. Both teams currently have an identical record of 12-58 and are each already eliminated from the playoffs. The Pistons’ last win was a home game against the Raptors, but they lost their last five games before this one. In their last game, James Wiseman played well with 24 points and nine rebounds inside, but they still lost to the Celtics.
Injuries have decimated the Pistons recently, as many of their top scorers are on the injury report. Their best player is still healthy, as Cade Cunningham is averaging 22.1 PPG and 7.6 APG to lead the team. Cunningham had 15 points, six rebounds and six assists last time out against the Celtics. He is joined in the backcourt by Jaden Ivey, he averages 15.3 PPG and 3.7 APG in his second season. Jalen Duren is questionable for this game, and Isaiah Stewart and Simone Fontecchio will miss this game due to injuries. James Wiseman took advantage of the extra minutes with a big game last time out, but is only averaging 6.7 PPG on the season.
Troy Brown Jr. started on the wing against the Celtics, and rookie Tosan Evbuomwan also got the nod and finished with 14 points and eight rebounds. Evan Fournier and Marcus Sasser played the most minutes off the bench. The Pistons rank 26th in offensive and defensive efficiency. Detroit plays at the 10th fastest pace in the NBA.
Injury Report:
Absent: Isaiah Stewart, Simone Fontecchio, Quentin Grimes, Taj Gibson, Ausur Thompson
Questionable: Jalen Duren
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Insider status:
Rating:
The Pistons have been double-digit underdogs in their last three games, losing and failing to cover the spread in all three. Injuries are a problem for every team at this point in the season, but New Orleans has the depth to respond to their injuries more easily. Brandon Ingram is out for the Pelicans, but Trey Murphy is a capable young backup, and Naji Marshall is a shooter off the bench with size who can fill extra minutes. Detroit’s injuries will hurt more because they don’t have the same depth. Detroit can’t count on Wiseman to score 20+ in every game, as he’s only averaging 6.7 PPG on the season. The Pistons turned to Troy Brown Jr. and Tosan Evbuomwan last game, these guys are no match for Zion. Williamson will have a mismatch on every possession, and the Pistons will suffer their sixth straight loss here.
Take the Pelicans for cover.
Prediction: Pelicans -12
Total choice of the complete game
Insider status:
Rating:
The NBA has subtly changed its refereeing since the All-Star Break. They gave some power back to the defenses and let them play around the rim with fewer fouls. This led to lower totals and more overruns until the books adjusted. New Orleans has lost in six of its last eight games, and Detroit has lost in six of its last seven games. The injury report is full of scorers from both teams, including Brandon Ingram who will miss this game. Detroit has the 18th longest defensive possession in the league and the Pelicans have the 25th longest defensive possession. There aren’t enough scorers here, and the underplay is the right play until the books adjust to how the refs now call these plays.
Take the bottom.
Prediction: Under 218.5
