Pelicans vs. Knicks Spread Pick & Analysis

New Orleans Pelicans (30-30 SU, 28-32-0 ATS) vs. New York Knicks (34-27 SU, 33-27-1 ATS)
When: Saturday, February 25th, 7:30 PM (ET)
Where: Madison Square Garden, NY, New York
TV: MSG

Point Spread: NO +3.5/NY -3.5 (Deposit $100, get $100 free when sign up through our link and use bonus promo code PREDICT100 at MyBookie Sportsbook!
Total: 225.5
Money Line: Pels +131/NYK -157

Notable Injuries

Pelicans

• Zion Williamson (Out) Hamstring
• Dyson Daniels (Questionable) Ankle
• EJ Liddell (Out) Knee

Knicks

• Evan Fournier (Out) Illness

Recent Form

Heading into the game, New Orleans is 30-30 overall. When taking to the road, New Orleans has a mark of 10-20 and a win percentage of 33%. Currently, the team is 8th in the Western Conference. So far, they are 28-32-0 vs the spread. New Orleans travels to take on the Knicks, hoping to avoid their 3rd straight loss.

In their most recent game, New Orleans was unable to come away with a victory against the Raptors, losing by a score of 115-110. Despite Brandon Ingram leading the team with 36 points, the Pelicans were unable to overcome their status as 4-point underdogs. The Pelicans also ended up with an ATS loss in the game.

Heading into the game, New York is 34-27 overall. When playing at home, New York has a mark of 16-15 and a win percentage of 52%. Currently, the team is 6th in the Eastern Conference. So far, they are 33-27-1 vs the spread. New York will look to stay hot in today’s game vs New Orleans as they are the winners of 4 straight games.

In their upcoming game, New York will be looking to capitalize on their recent win over the Wizards. Julius Randle led the way for the Knicks with 46 points. Despite being 1 point underdogs on the spread, the Knicks were able to secure an ATS win.

The Historicals

Similar to their season-long average, the Pelicans averaged 109.5 points per game vs the Knicks. Just like the Pelicans, the Knicks maintained their usual level of scoring in head-to-head matchups, averaging 107.0 points per game vs New Orleans. The level of competition has been tight in the 5 most recent games between the Pelicans and Knicks, with an even scoring differential. New Orleans has the ATS edge in this span at 3-2. New Orleans and New York averaged a combined 224 points per game in these games, leading to an over-under mark of 4-1.

Analysis

This year, the New Orleans offense is not only near the NBA average in points at 114.8 points per game, but they are also playing at a pace similar to the league average. So far, the Pelicans are ranked 14th in possessions per contest. New Orleans comes into the game ranked just 29th in 3-point attempts per game. So far, they have connected on 35.6% of their shots from deep, which places them 22nd in the NBA. On defense, the Pelicans are allowing an average of 110.28 points per game, placing them 13th in the league. So far, teams have shot 36.48% on their looks from outside vs New Orleans. This figure places them 26th in 3-point shooting defense.

Coming into today’s game, CJ McCollum is the leading scorer for New Orleans at 21.2 points per game. This season, McCollum has a field goal percentage of 43.6%. The team’s second-leading scorer is Jonas Valanciunas, at 14.4 points per contest.

This season, the Knicks’ offense is averaging 114.6 points per game, which is 15th in the NBA. In terms of pace, New York has been playing at one of the slower tempo’s in the league, averaging just 97.4 possessions per game. The Knicks have been able to put together a strong offensive attack despite sitting just 23rd in 3-point shooting percentage. Overall, they are among the league leaders in attempts at 35.0 attempts per game. Defensively, the Knicks have been one of the best units in the NBA, allowing just 106.6 points per game. So far, they have done an excellent job defending the 3-point arc, allowing teams to hit just 34.2%.

Going into today’s game, Julius Randle is the leading scorer for the New York team with an average of 25.1 points per game. This season, his field goal percentage is 46.2%. The team’s second top scorer is Jalen Brunson, who is averaging 23.8 points per game.

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Betting Trends

• Pelicans are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games following a ATS loss.
• Pelicans are 7-19 ATS in their last 26 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
• Knicks are 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
• Knicks are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.

Joes Pick To Cover The Spread

The Pels are in a good spot catching the Knicks on the second game of a back-to-back with travel. I’m betting New Orleans at +3.5! Bet your NBA predictions for FREE this week by scoring a massive 125% real cash bonus up to $400 and get a FREE half point everytime you bet your favorite team when you use bonus promo code PREDICTEM at GTBets Sportsbook! They have an awesome player loyalty rewards program too! Click here to sign up now!