Pelicans vs Warriors Odds Favor Host Golden State
Two Western Conference Playoff Teams Square Off
Two teams fighting for better positioning in the Western Conference standings square off on Friday night when the Golden State Warriors host the New Orleans Pelicans. Golden State has won three in a row, including a victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday, to move up to ninth in the West.
The Warriors have the exact same record as the Sacramento Kings and the Los Angeles Lakers, but Sacramento has the tiebreaker, so it sits in eighth in the standings. All three teams are two games behind the Phoenix Suns for seventh place, which will host a game in the Play-In Tournament, as will the ninth-place squad.
New Orleans sits just a game ahead of the Suns in sixth place, which would mean avoiding the Play-In Tournament altogether. The Pelicans have also won three in a row, all on the road, including a victory against the Kings on Thursday night. The NBA scores and standings over the next three days of the regular season will be all important for all five teams.
The Pelicans vs Warriors odds favor the home team in Friday night’s clash, with Golden State giving 4.5 points. You can get the Warriors at -180 odds for a moneyline wager, or the Pelicans at +155. The over/under for the game has been set at 220 points.
New Orleans Pelicans vs Golden State Warriors 
Day/Time:
Location: Chase Center
Streaming: NBA League Pass
Pelicans Trying to Stay Out Of Play-In
The recent surge by New Orleans of three straight road wins has the team sitting outside of the Play-In Tournament at this point, but that could change with losses in its last two games of the regular season. Even without forward Brandon Ingram (20.9 points, 5.8 assists), who hasn’t played since late March with a knee injury, the Pelicans are a dangerous offensive team.
That was shown on Thursday night, with Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum each putting up 31 points in the 135-123 win over Sacramento. Williamson has upped his scoring to 27.2 points over his last nine games, and he’ll be a problem for the smaller Warriors lineup as he powers to the basket.
McCollum getting hot is big for the Pelicans, and his 3-point shooting could provide you with more enticing NBA prop bets today. The veteran guard is shooting 50% from beyond the arc this month, including 9-of-12 accuracy on Thursday night. He has four or more 3-pointers in each of his last five contests.
Warriors Showing Their Veteran Grit
Just a couple of weeks ago, there were questions about the Warriors’ playoff chances, as the Houston Rockets made a run at them with a long winning streak. Golden State shut down those concerns and are now moving up the West standings, reminding everyone what a dangerous team they can be.
Guard Stephen Curry continues to be the consistent scoring threat for the Warriors, ranking among the NBA stat leaders in scoring with his 26.3-ppg average. He carried the team in Thursday’s win over Portland, finishing with 22 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, two blocks and a steal.
Curry had to carry Golden State against Portland because of the absences of guard Klay Thompson (knee) and forward Draymond Green (knee), two very important pieces to the puzzle. Both are considered game-time decisions for Friday’s contest, though it would be a surprise if neither could go after they both looked solid in Tuesday’s win over the Lakers.
Warriors Continue to Roll
The Pelicans vs Warriors odds show the respect Golden State gets, as it is favored against a team with a better record. As stated above, the Warriors are a veteran group that is starting to play its best, which is why they are getting the betting edge.
We expect both Thompson and Green to play in this one, which is going to push the Warriors to the win that will cover the 4.5-point spread. New Orleans won’t make it easy, but we like Golden State to pull away late in a high-scoring game that will hit the over.
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