New Orleans Pelicans at Chicago Bulls Total Prediction 11/9/22

New Orleans Pelicans (5-5 SU, 4-6-0 ATS) vs. Chicago Bulls (6-6 SU, 8-4-0 ATS)
When: Wednesday, November 9th, 8:00 PM (ET)
Where: United Center, IL, Chicago
TV: NBCS

Point Spread: NO -1.5/ CHI +1.5
Total: 230.0
Money Line: New Orleans Pelicans -121/ +100

Notable Injuries

Pelicans

• Garrett Temple (Out) Personal
• Larry Nance Jr. (Questionable) Knee
• Kira Lewis Jr. (Out) Knee
• EJ Liddell (Out) Knee

Bulls

• Andre Drummond (Questionable) Shoulder
• Lonzo Ball (Out) Knee
• Coby White (Out) Quad

Recent Form

The Pelicans come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 5-5. So far, the team has gone 4-6-0 against the spread. The Pelicans come into the game in the middle of a two-game losing streak, losing these matchups by an average of -5.0 points per contest.

The Pelicans are coming off a disappointing 129-122 loss to the Pacers. Going into the game, they were favored to win by 5 points. New Orleans was not able to turn things around in the 2nd half, as they trailed the Pacers by seven going into halftime. In the loss, Brandon Ingram led the team in scoring with 29 points on a field goal percentage of 50.0%.

So far, the Bulls have put together an overall record of 6-6 while going 8-4-0 vs. the spread. Against the spread, Chicago has a mark of 2-1. Straight up, their record is 1-2 in these games.

The Bulls will look to keep things rolling, as they previously beat the Raptors by a score of 111-97. Heading into the game, they were 2 point favorites on the spread, giving them an ATS win. Chicago went on to win the game, as they led by 5 heading into halftime. In the win, Zach LaVine led the team in scoring with 30 points on a field goal percentage of 55.0%.

The Historicals

Going back to last season, the Pelicans and Bulls split their season series, with each team picking up a win at home. The average point total across the two games was 247.0 points. In last year’s head-to-head meetings, the Pelicans averaged 119.0 points per game vs Chicago, which was an increase over their season-long average. On the other side, the Bulls also experienced an uptick in scoring during head-to-head matchups, averaging 118.5 points per game vs. New Orleans. Through the last five matchups between the teams, Chicago has an ATS mark of 3-1-1. But, looking at the scoring margin in these games, an average of just 2 points per game separates the teams. In these matchups, the teams have put together an over-under mark of 5-0. Combined, they averaged 242 points in these games.

Analysis

The New Orleans offense will take the floor in today’s game with the league’s 1st ranked offense at 118.5 points per game. Coming into today’s game, the Pelicans will be looking to improve their 3-point shooting numbers, as they are averaging just 11.1 made 3’s per game. One reason that they are still scoring at a high rate is the fact that they are ranked 9th in the NBA in possessions per contest. These increased opportunities have helped make up for the lack of outside shooting.

Currently, the Pelicans’ defense is ranked 13th in points allowed. So far, opposing teams are averaging 110.28 points per game vs. the unit.

One thing to watch will be if CJ McCollum will be able to take advantage of his matchup vs. the Bulls. Last year, they were ranked just 16th in points allowed to point guards.

For the season, the Bulls’ offensive unit is ranked just 19th in scoring at 111.4 points per contest. Coming into today’s game, the Bulls will be looking to improve their 3-point shooting numbers, as they are averaging just 11.0 made 3’s per game. One area of the team’s offense that has been effective is their ability to get to the free-throw line. So far, they are ranked 3rd, with an average of 20.8 made free throws per game.

Against the Pelicans, the Bulls will need a stronger defensive effort as they are ranked just 17th in points allowed.

DeMar DeRozan could be in line for a big game vs. the Pelicans, as they were one of the worst units at defending small forwards in the 2021-2022 regular season.

Betting Trends

• Pelicans are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games following a straight-up loss.
• Pelicans are 5-17 ATS in their last 22 Wednesday games.
• Bulls are 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall.
• Bulls are 4-1 ATS in their last five when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.

Joes Pick vs. the Number

Under 231