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The 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament continues on Friday night, and one of the 11 games on the schedule is the New Orleans Pelicans vs Denver Nuggets. It's the 74th head-to-head match between the two teams, with the Nuggets slightly ahead with 42 wins. Let's take a look at the New Orleans Pelicans vs Denver Nuggets prediction and betting tips.
The Nuggets have dominated the matchup recently, winning seven of the last 10 games. The defending champions also won their first meeting of the season 134-116 on Nov. 6. Nikola Jokic registered a triple-double of 35 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists.
Jordan Hawkins had his breakout performance with 31 points, seven rebounds and seven 3-point shots made. Zion Williamson added 20 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.
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New Orleans Pelicans vs Denver Nuggets preview, prediction, odds and betting tips
The New Orleans Pelicans vs Denver Nuggets is scheduled on Friday, Nov. 17, at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. The game starts at 8:00 p.m. EST and will be televised on Bally Sports New Orleans and Altitude Sports in Denver.
Moneyline: Pelicans (-105) vs Nuggets (-115)
Spread: Pelicans +1 (-110) vs Nuggets -1 (-110)
Total (O/U): Pelicans -110 (u225) vs Nuggets -110 (o225)
New Orleans Pelicans vs Denver Nuggets preview
The New Orleans Pelicans will be trying to win their second NBA In-Season Tournament Game. If they beat the Denver Nuggets, they will be tied for first place in West Group B. The Pelicans are coming off a 131-110 win over the Dallas Mavericks.
Meanwhile, the Nuggets will likely secure the top spot if they win on Friday night. They are 2-0 in the tournament and 9-2 overall, which is tied with the Boston Celtics for the best record in the league.
The defending champs survived a scare against the LA Clippers 111-108 in their last game.
New Orleans Pelicans vs Denver Nuggets predicted lineups
The New Orleans Pelicans will remain shorthanded on Friday night, with CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy III and Larry Nance Jr. listed as out. Coach Willie Green is expected to use a starting five consisting of Dyson Daniels, Herb Jones, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson and Jonas Valanciunas.
Meanwhile, Jamal Murray remains out for the Denver Nuggets due to a right hamstring strain. Michael Malone will continue to use their starting lineup of Reggie Jackson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic.
New Orleans Pelicans vs Denver Nuggets Betting Tips
Nikola Jokic has even odds of -115 with an over/under of 32.5 points against the Pelicans.
He's averaging 30.0 points this season but has scored 30 or more points in his last four games. With Jamal Murray still out and Michael Porter Jr. struggling with his shot, Jokic has no other choice but to be a scorer.
Jokic is also the leading rebounder this season. He has an over/under of 12.5 points for Friday's game. It might be best to bet over at -100 odds because he's grabbed 12 or more rebounds in his last six games.
As for his assists, Jokic is -136 to go under 9.5. He's averaging just 8.4 assists this season due to Jamal Murray's absence in the last few games. You can take the risk and bet for Jokic to go over with +110 odds.
New Orleans Pelicans vs Denver Nuggets Prediction
The Denver Nuggets are the slight favorites to beat the New Orleans Pelicans. Despite their disparity in terms of team record, the Pelicans are coming off a huge win against the second-best squad in the Western Conference.
With a point spread of +1, the Pelicans are likely to cover it regardless of the outcome of the game. They are 1-4-1 against the spread in their last five games but have gone over in four of their last five contests.
The prediction for this game is that the Nuggets will get the win, the Pelicans will cover the spread, and the total score will go over. It should be noted that the defending champions have gone under in 11 of their last 14 games.
Pelicans Fan? Check out the latest New Orlean Pelicans depth chart, schedule, and roster updates all in one place.
