Toronto Raptors vs. New Orleans Pelicans Prediction, NBA Odds
The Pelicans will be solid favourites on the NBA odds, but by how much depends on the status of a few players.
Raptors vs. Pelicans NBA Betting Odds
It’s now probably fair to say that the New Orleans Pelicans made a mistake taking Duke forward Zion Williamson at No. 1 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft. Zion is a fine player and still only 24 years old, but he just can’t stay in the court and yet again is out indefinitely – this time with a hamstring issue. Williamson never has cared enough to get into tip-top shape and will play fewer than 61 regular-season games for the fourth time in his six-season career.
Key Pelicans offseason acquisition Dejounte Murray fractured his hand in the team’s season opener while CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III and Jose Alvarado have also been sidelined at points this season. This is not a roster that should be 10 games under .500 and last in the Western Conference.
Wednesday marks the first of two regular-season meetings between these franchise with the Pelicans visiting Scotiabank Arena on Jan. 27. Toronto leads 27-20 but lost both last season and has dropped four straight in New Orleans. Williamson actually played in both in 2023-24 but averaged a fairly quiet 16.0 points. Brandon Ingram averaged 26.5 points and 7.5 assists. Many believe he will be traded by February’s deadline for financial reasons.
New Orleans is 6-4 SU and 7-3 ATS in the past 10 meetings.
Toronto Raptors
Toronto played very well in the second of a back-to-back on Monday in Detroit but lost its second straight game, 102-100 on a jumper from Jaden Ivey at the buzzer to fall to 0-10 on the road – the league’s only team without an away victory. The Raptors are now 2-8 this year in games decided by six points or fewer. The Pistons outscored the Dinos by 10 in the fourth quarter. Scottie Barnes dominated for Toronto with 31 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists but only one other starter scored in double figures, and that was RJ Barett with 17 points. Ochai Agbaji had as many points as you did in 24 minutes. Usual starting guard Gradey Dick was out with a left calf strain suffered Sunday and is day-to-day. He’s averaging 18.1 points. Davion Mitchell took his spot and was 1-for-7 in 31 minutes for three points. The Raptors dominated the boards 50-38, including 23-6 offensively. It’s possible guard Bruce Brown makes his season debut Wednesday off knee surgery as his conditioning level is about where it needs to be. Toronto is 4-1 ATS in its past five games.
New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans was again without four injured starters due to injury on Monday — Brandon Ingram, Herbert Jones, Dejounte Murray and Zion Williamson – and lost its fifth game in a row, 114-110 at Indiana, but the good news is that starting guard CJ McCollum played for the first time in nearly a month off injury and had 23 points. This team is so thinned out it recently signed guard Elfrid Payton off the street and he had a career-high 21 assists in the loss, the most in the NBA this season. Ingram has largely been healthy this season and is day-to-day with a calf injury. Murray has missed 17 straight games but is targeting a Wednesday return. The former All-Star was acquired in the offseason from Atlanta. New Orleans is 5-12 ATS in its past 17.
TOR
NO