In the National Basketball Association; the New Orleans Pelicans will take a trip to Philadelphia to battle against the 76ers. The New Orleans Pelicans had their game at home against the Pacers postponed due to a leaky roof on Wednesday. The Pelicans hold the 8th spot in the Western Conference, but just ½ game over the Los Angeles Clippers. New Orleans is 28-25 on the season and 14-13 on the road.
The Philadelphia 76ers are the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. The 76ers are 26-26 on the season and have gone 14-10 at home. The 76ers are coming off a win over the Washington Wizards in their last game. The Philadelphia 76ers are -5 over the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA on Friday.
Philadelphia Still Celebrating
The Philadelphia 76ers are in third place in the Atlantic Division, and do not appear to be moving either up or down. The 76ers are 10 games behind second place Toronto, and 5 games ahead of fourth place New York. The 76ers have won two out of their last three games, with the only loss coming on the road at the Indiana Pacers.
The 76ers are led in scoring by big man Joel Embiid. The former Kansas center is scoring 23.7 points per game, and ripping down 11 rebounds. The 76ers are also getting 17 points per game from shooting guard J.J. Reddick. The 76ers need just 3 wins in the next 31 games to beat their win total of a season ago.
Pelicans Missing Cousins
The New Orleans Pelicans lost DeMarcus Cousins a couple weeks ago, but they have held strong in the Western Conference standings. The Pelicans despite that have dropped their last two games. In losses to the Timberwolves and Jazz, New Orleans is allowing 125.5 points per game. On the season, the Pelicans are allowing 111.1 per game.
Offensively, the Pelicans are 4th in the NBA with 110.7 points per game. Anthony Davis is leading the way for New Orleans with 26.8 points per game and 10.6 rebounds per game. Since the loss of Cousins, the Pelicans second highest scorer is Jrue Holiday with more than 18 points per game. The Pelicans added Nikola Mirotic, and the power forward has come in and played 34 minutes per game.
76ers Whip Pelicans
The Philadelphia 76ers are going to be a tough team to beat as the season comes to an end as they start to gain more and more experience and confidence. This is a team that will be tough to beat in the postseason. In this game, the youth and athleticism of the 76ers is going to be too much for New Orleans. Anthony Davis is really good, but Joel Embiid should be able to cancel him out. After that – it’s all 76ers. Take the Philadelphia 76ers -5 over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday. Bet on the Philadelphia 76ers -5 over the New Orleans Pelicans in a big NBA game on Friday.
