Tipoff is at 7:30 P.M. Eastern on TNT. The Pelicans are three-point favorites.
Brooklyn Nets Betting Preview
The Nets have had an excellent season thus far. At publication, they are the second seed in the eastern conference with a record of 38-19, only two games behind the Philadelphia 76ers for first place.
Unfortunately for Brooklyn, star forward Kevin Durant got hurt in the last game against the Heat. Durant didn’t return, but the x-rays came back negative. The Nets are calling it a “left thigh contusion.” With James Harden already out nursing an injury but expected to come back this week or next, the Nets’ only healthy star, for the time being, is Kyrie Irving.
One area outside of injuries where the Nets have struggled with this season is defense. Brooklyn improved on their NBA worst 110.3 defensive rating, but they allow 114.2 points per game, ninth-most in the league.
However, key injuries in key situations are something the Nets haven’t been able to shake. Durant missed two months of game action, and in his third game back from that injury, he got hurt and left the game in the first half. Harden has missed the past six games due to a hamstring strain, and their newly acquired stars Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge have battled injuries this year too. Griffin gets the night off once a week, and Aldridge was forced to retire from his injuries on April 15.
The Nets will likely be without Harden and Durant for this one, meaning it’s up to Irving to carry the offensive load for this one. The Nets are 2-1 overall with just Irving and not Harden or Durant but are also 0-3 against the spread when Irving is the only member of the “Big Three” out there.
Brooklyn is in a mini skid as they’ve lost three of their last six games, but one of their wins was against the Pelicans. The big difference is that Durant played in that game. With the Pelicans fully healthy and that big loss from two weeks ago still fresh in their minds, look for the Pelicans to come out swinging to see if the Nets can keep up.
New Orleans Pelicans Betting Preview
The Pelicans have had a rocky season, sitting with a record 25-32, good for the 11th seed in the Western Conference. Luckily, with the new playoff rules, the Pelicans still can make the playoffs, as the 7-10 seeds will compete in a play-in tournament for the final two playoff spots.
Second-year stud Zion Williamson has been extremely impressive and has been exactly what everyone thought he’d be when the Pelicans drafted him first overall in last year’s draft. Williamson is averaging 27 points, seven rebounds, and three assists per game this season and leads the team in points per game.
On paper, the Pelicans have a great lineup with Lonzo Ball, Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Ingram, Williamson, and Steven Adams, but it hasn’t seemed to click for them yet. Three of those starters are under 24-years-old, so their ceilings are high, but it may not materialize into success this season.
Ball leads the team in three-pointers made this season with 128, and Ingram leads the team in minutes per game even while playing all 53 games so far.
The Pelicans record against the spread is the same as their current record, 25-32.
On to the Pick
New Orleans has an excellent opportunity to win the revenge game Tuesday night, and I expect them to do so. Roll with the Pelicans over a shorthanded Nets team.
FREE PICK: New Orleans Pelicans (-3).
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