On Monday, 03/17, the New Orleans Pelicans (18-50) will host the Detroit Pistons (37-31) in an inter-conference Regular-Season match-up. The Pelicans have been struggling at the 14th spot in the West, while the Pistons have been doing well at the sixth position in the East. Will the short-handed Pels pose any challenge to the brilliant Pistons? Read about the preview, total predictions, and player props here.
Pelicans: They are looking at the lottery now
The New Orleans Pelicans will come into this game after a 4-point loss against the San Antonio Spurs despite a 26-point performance by CJ McCollum. They were without Zion Williamson and have lost two in a row and have faced defeats in six of the last seven games. It was expected with the short-handed unit and a lack of depth around multiple positions. Thus, they will need to retool in the offseason. What if they land the #1 pick in the lottery? Will they choose Cooper Flagg in the 2025 draft, who picked a serious injury. Haven’t they dealt with Williamson’s injury troubles already too much? But Flagg is a generational talent like the current franchise’s face and may come back even stronger. At any rate, the Pels have hard decisions to make, but a core containing Dejounte Murray and Herbert Jones has a lot of defensive promise.
Expected Starting Lineup
PG/SG: CJ McCollum | SG: Trey Murphy III | SF: Zion Williamson | SF: Kelly Olynyk | C: Karlo Matkovic
Key Injuries/Updates: Dejounte Murray and Herbert Jones are OUT for the season. Zion Williamson’s status is UNCLEAR.
Pistons: Feeling exhausted? Still impressive
The Detroit Pistons will come into this affair after a 6-point loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder as their ace Cade Cunningham was contained to a rare 11-point night. They have now lost two in a row, with the loss against the league’s worst Washington Wizards being arguably their worst loss of the season. The Pistons are 4-5 in the last nine games after enjoying a 10-2 period. At any rate, they must be feeling fatigued at the tail-end of the season, however, they have the tools and the experienced personnel to get them out of the current hole. Their upcoming five-game slate is relatively easy, and they can fully exploit it through their newly built depth.
Expected Starting Lineup
PG: Cade Cunningham | SG/SF: Tim Hardaway Jr. | SF: Ausar Thompson | PF: Tobias Harris | C: Jalen Duren
Key Injuries/Updates: Jaden Ivey is OUT for the season.
The Pistons have tired legs, but they are always up for a 120+ points performance. But the same is not true for Pels. They have had some impressive scoring showings but are less likely to hit the 120-point mark than Detroit. Defensively, the Pistons have conceded a lot, giving up 115+ repeatedly, while the same is true for the Pelicans. Overall, we can be in for a high scorer, with the total going into the 240s.
Projected Predictions:
Trey Murphy III to score over 21.5 points: The Pelicans guard has recorded 20.4 PPG in March, scoring over 21 points just once. However, this can be the second time he will hit the mark.
CJ McCollum to dish over 5.5 assists: The Pelicans guard has dished 5.3 assists per game in March, his best output of the season. He can deliver over 5 assists this game.
Cade Cunningham to score over 29,5 points: The scoring wizard has accumulated 27 PPG in March, putting up 28 or more in most games this month. I believe he will continue the trend and have a 30+ night.
Jalen Durent to grab over 12.5 rebounds: The Pistons center has grabbed 10.4 rebounds per game in March, clasping 11 or more in most games. I believe he will clean up a lot of misses here, figuring in the 12-15 rebounds range.
The Pelicans have struggled immensely throughout the season, but the Pistons, who lost to the Wizards recently, must be wary of them. This can be a shootout type of game, but I see the Pistons clicking on a ton of shots in the second half, putting away Pels for good. I believe the Pistons will win here by at least 8 points.
Safe Spread Pick: Pistons -9.5 for +135 at BetMGM
Photo Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
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