On Thursday, 03/13, the New Orleans Pelicans (18-48) will host the Orlando Magic (30-36) in an inter-conference Regular-Season match-up. The Pelicans have been struggling at the 14th spot in the Western Conference, while the Magic have slipped to the 8th position in the East. Will the Magic use this chance to bury their woes? Read about the preview, total predictions, and player props here.
Pelicans: A woeful season
The Pelicans will enter the affair after a rare 7-point win against the Los Angeles Clippers, as Zion Williamson came up with his second career triple-double performance. The win broke a four-game losing streak. It was just their sixth win in 38 games against a team with a +.500 record. This stat alone proves how disappointing this season has been. The team has been unable to take advantage of Williamson’s availability in the second half of the season. Dejounte Murray’s season-ending injury and Brandon Ingram’s departure have rendered them unable to show their full strength, but there are some doubts about their success even if these athletes were available.
Expected Starting Lineup
PG/SG: CJ McCollum | SG: Trey Murphy III | SF: Zion Williamson | PF: Kelly Olynyk | C: Yves Missi
Key Injuries/Updates: Brandon Boston, Dejounte Murray, and Herbert Jones are OUT for the season. The status of Kelly Olynyk is UNCLEAR.
Magic: Lost season?
The Orlando Magic will come into this game after a 13-point loss against the Houston Rockets, despite a 25-point performance by Paolo Banchero. It was their sixth out of their last seven games, and they are 7-18 since mid-January. This poor run has dropped them out of the contention for a top-six spot, and they are heading to the Play-in tournament and can slip to the 10th spot. Earlier, they were able to brave the storm when Banchero got injured, but the season-ending injury to Jalen Suggs and the absence of Franz Wagner around midseason derailed their campaign. The Magic has been the worst offensive team in the league, with the worst scoring average of 104.3 points per game.
Expected Starting Lineup
PG: Cole Anthony | SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | SF: Franz Wagner | PF: Paolo Banchero | C: Wendell Carter Jr.
Key Injuries/Updates: Jalen Suggs and Moritz Wagner are OUT for the season.
The Magic have been disappointing on the offensive end but can pull their socks up against a sub-par defensive team like the Pelicans. New Orleans has conceded 120 or more in six of the last eight games, the Magic may fancy a big-corig night despite constant troubles. Meanwhile, Magic’s defense has also weakened significantly, and they can be vulnerable away from home. I believe the overall score will be in the 229-235 range here. The bookmakers disagree here, believing in Magic’s defense that was top-notch till midseason. However, I still believe we are heading for a 225+ points game.
Projected Predictions:
Zion Williamson to score over 25.5 points: The Pels forward has put up 24.4 PPG this season and has scored 22 or fewer in three straight games. I expect him to burst for a 25+ point performance here.
CJ McCollum to nail over 3.5 triples: The sharpshooter has made 3.1 triples per game this season. He has clicked on 4 or more threes in four of the last five games. I expect him to make 4 to 5 threes again.
Paolo Banchero to score over 24.5 points: The Magic forward has scored 24.3 PPG this season and has scored 25 or more in four straight games. Overall, I expect him to breach the 25-point mark here again.
Franz Wagner to score over 23.5 points: The high-scoring forward has contributed 24.5 PPG this season but has scored fewer than 20 points in three straight games. However, I expect them to get near to the 30-point mark here.
This one is tough to judge because of the two teams’ awful performances in the recent games. The Pels have a home-court advantage, but it hasn’t mattered that much throughout the season. Meanwhile, the Magic has been terrible on the road, but I expect them to come up with an improved effort here. Overall, I choose Magic despite this being so close to call.
Safe Spread Pick: Magic -4.5 for +125 at BetMGM
Photo Credit: Matthew Hinton- Imagn Images
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