The Brooklyn Nets (15-18) travel to face off against the New Orleans Pelicans (19-14) on Tuesday, January 2nd. This game will be played at Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Nets are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Lakers. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.

Nets vs Pelicans

The Nets Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

In the game against the Thunder, Mikal Bridges was the top scorer for Brooklyn, recording 22 points. His field goal percentage for the game was 38%. Cam Thomas contributed 20 points, but Brooklyn lost the game 124-108.

When facing other Eastern Conference teams, the Nets are 13-11 and have gone 2-7 against non-conference opponents. Overall, the Nets are 15-18 and are 2-8 in their last ten games.

Brooklyn arrives with an ATS record of 18-14 for the season up to this point. On the road, the Nets have an ATS record of 7-9 compared to a 11-5 record vs. the spread at home.

The Pelicans Are Coming Off A Win

In the Pelicans’ most recent game against the Lakers, Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 26 points while going 8/12 from the field. Brandon Ingram also added 26 points as the Pelicans won the game by a score of 129-109.

With their current two game winning streak, the Pelicans are looking to add to their overall record of 19-14. In the Western Conference, the Pelicans are currently ranked 6th and are leading the Southwest division.

Currently, New Orleans holds an above .500 ATS record of 18-15 so far this year. New Orleans has covered the spread in two straight road games and are 7-8 ATS on the road compared to 11-7 at home.

Nets Offense Breakdown

In 33 games games, Brooklyn has an average of 115.6 points per game (13th). The Nets come into the game as one of the league’s better 3-point shooting teams, connecting at a rate of 13.8 made 3’s per game. Brooklyn is a strong candidate to see their overall offensive numbers improve, as not only are they a good outside shooting unit, but they do a good job taking care of the ball, ranking 6th in fewest turnovers per game.

Pelicans Offense Breakdown

The Pelicans arrive for today’s game as one of the NBA’s top offensive teams, scoring an average of 116 points per game (12th). Coming into today’s game, the Pelicans will be looking to improve their 3-point shooting numbers, as they are averaging just 11.4 made 3’s per game. If the New Orleans offense is going to turn things around, not only do they need to improve their outside shooting but they must do a better job protecting the ball. Currently, they are averaging 13 turnovers per game.

Nets Team Defense

On defense, the Nets come into the game ranked 20th in the league in points allowed at 116.4 per game. Over their last three games, the team is allowing 126 points per contest (9th). In terms of two point field goal attempts, the Nets defense has allowed a shooting percentage of 53.1% while allowing 38.0% from downtown.

Pelicans Team Defense

The Pelicans’ defense is presently ranked 12th in the league, allowing an average of 113.0 points per contest. Most recently, the Pelicans’ defense put together a solid performance, giving up just 109 points to the Lakers.

Key Players For The Nets And Pelicans

For today’s matchup, we project Cam Thomas to lead the scoring for the Nets, putting up 24 points and shooting at a rate of 9/19. Throughout this season, his average stands at 22.4 points per game, along with 2.6 rebounds.

On the other side, Brandon Ingram is our projected leading scorer for the Pelicans. We have him ending the game with a team-high 24 and grabbing 5 rebounds. For the season, he has a field goal percentage of 50.1% and is averaging 23.3 points per contest.

Nets vs Pelicans Trends

• Through their last ten road contests, the Nets offense has averaged 115 points per game while allowing an average of 122. Brooklyn posted an overall record of 3-7 while going 3-7 ATS.
• In their last ten games at home, the Pelicans have a straight up record of 6-4 while going 5-5 vs. the spread. The team averaged 118 points per game in this stretch.
• As the betting underdog, the Nets have an ATS mark of just 0-3 in their last three games. Brooklyn posted a straight up mark of 0-3 in these matchups.
• Through their last three matchups as the betting favorite, the Pelicans have a good straight up record, but their ATS mark is just 1-2.

 

Nets vs Pelicans Prediction

 

For a point-spread bet in this Pelicans vs. Pelicans matchup, we’re leaning towards the Nets at +6.5. Although our projections show the Pelicans winning 113-110, we suggest placing your bet on the Nets for the point-spread.

Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 229.5, and our model predicts the Nets and Pelicans to score a combined 223 points. We recommend betting on the under.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.