The New Orleans Pelicans will try to get back in the win column tonight at home against the Dallas Mavericks.
After rolling through their first two games without ever trailing, the Pels were stung by injuries to both Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson in pretty much the worst-case scenario for the season, though hopefully neither injury is serious.
We’re not even a week in and New Orleans is already shorthanded and we’re already asking the all-too-familiar question of who is going to step up.
The Pels do have more depth this season, but will it be enough to get them past Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks if the two (possibly three) stars are out?
New Orleans Pelicans vs Dallas Mavericks: Odds and Spread, Over/Under
According to FanDuel, New Orleans is a 4.5 point underdog against Dallas at home tonight in the Smoothie King Center. The Pels should get a boost from a loud and encouraging home crowd that will no doubt get behind the reserves as they did in the comeback against Utah.
The money lines are set at +166 for New Orleans and -198 for Dallas and the over/under is 219 combined points.
Both of these teams can put up points in a hurry, so I do like the over in this one, as it is the lowest combined point total we’ve seen all season and the Pels have so far surpassed them all.
Pelicans injury report: Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram injury update
Kira Lewis Jr. is still out, and now Brandon Ingram has joined him, as it was announced yesterday that he had entered concussion protocol. Normally this takes at least a week, so we can expect BI to be out for at least a few games.
Zion Williamson is also listed as questionable after suffering a hip contusion, and Herbert Jones is questionable with a banged-up knee. To say the Pels will miss these three guys is an understatement, and they’d love to have at least one of them, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Zion and Herb sit as well.
New Orleans doesn’t have another game under Friday, so they can get each guy a little extra rest and only miss one game.
There is really no reason to push it this early in the season, so expect New Orleans to be missing at least two starters, maybe three.
New Orleans Pelicans vs Dallas Mavericks: Prediction
We know Ingram is out, but if Zion and Herb are both out as well, the Pels are going to have a tough time with Dallas.
But that doesn’t mean they can’t win. New Orleans has guys who can step up, so this will be the time for Trey Murphy III, Naji Marshall and Jaxson…
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