The New Orleans Pelicans (23-15) travel to face off against the Denver Nuggets (26-13) on Friday, January 12th. This game will be played at Ball Arena in Denver and televised on ESPN. The Pelicans are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Nuggets are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Warriors. Tip-off is set for 10:00 ET.

Pelicans vs Nuggets

The Pelicans Are Coming Off A Win

The Pelicans picked up a win over the Warriors in their latest game, finishing with a score of 141-105. the Pelicans not only secured a victory straight-up but also did so while covering the spread as -2.5-point favorites. Before the game, the over/under line was 234.5 points, and both teams ended up surpassing that mark.

Coming into today’s game vs. the Nuggets, the Pelicans are above .500 at 23-15. When playing on the road, the Pelicans are 11-7 compared to 12-8 at home.

The Pelicans are riding a two game ATS win streak and currently possess an overall ATS record of 22-16. During this season, New Orleans has a 11-10 record against the spread as favorites and 11-6 as underdogs.

The Nuggets Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Most recently, the Nuggets lost to the Jazz with a final score of 124-111. The Nuggets picked up the win despite trailing going into halftime 71-53.

As of now, the Nuggets are 26-13 overall and are 1-2 in their last three games. In the Western Conference, the Nuggets are 3rd and are 3rd in the Northwest division.

Denver arrives with an ATS record of 17-21 for the season up to this point. Denver has struggled to cover the spread in their last three road games and has an ATS record of 7-13 on the road, while it is 10-8 at home.

Pelicans Offense Breakdown

Today, the Pelicans enter the game as one of the NBA’s top-scoring teams, averaging 116.4 points per game (11th).

So far this season, the Pelicans have been a strong offensive team, averaging 116.4 points per game (11th). On the road, they have actually been better, averaging 117.5 points per game (9th).

When it comes to pace, New Orleans is 19th in the NBA at 98.5 possessions per game. In terms of field goal percentage, they are 6th at 48%.

However, the Pelicans are just 28th in three-point attempts per game and 21st in made threes. Overall, they are 5th in three-point shooting percentage at 38%.

Nuggets Offense Breakdown

The Nuggets come into today’s game as one of the better scoring teams in the NBA at 115.9 points per game (12th).

Denver’s offense is one of the best in the league, ranking 4th in field goal percentage at 49%. They are also 9th in scoring at home, averaging 120.5 points per game.

So far this season, the Nuggets have outscored the NBA scoring average in 51.3% of their games. In terms of pace, Denver is 29th in the league at 96.7 possessions per game.

When it comes to three-point shooting, the Nuggets are 9th in three-point percentage at 37%. However, they are just 22nd in three-point makes per game.

Pelicans Team Defense

At this time, the Pelicans’ defense is positioned 5th in the NBA, permitting 111.4 points per game. In terms of two point field goal attempts, the Pelicans defense has allowed a shooting percentage of 55.6% while allowing 33.7% from downtown.

Nuggets Team Defense

On average, the Denver defense is giving up 111.0 points per game (3rd). Right now, they are on a 2 game streak of giving up fewer points than their season average. Opponents are hitting 52.5% of their two-point field goal attempts this season, and they’re also connecting on 36.3% of their three-point attempts.

Key Players For The Pelicans And Nuggets

The outlook for today’s matchup points to Brandon Ingram as the primary point contributor for the Pelicans, finishing with 23 points while maintaining a 9/18 shooting accuracy. This season, he is averaging 22 points per game along with 4.6 boards.

On the other side, Nikola Jokic is our projected leading scorer for the Nuggets. We have him ending the game with a team-high 25 and grabbing 12 rebounds. This season, he is shooting at a field goal percentage of 57.4%, and his scoring average is 25.5 points per game.

Pelicans vs Nuggets Trends

• When looking at their past five road matchups, New Orleans has an ATS record of 5-0 while averaging 132 per game. The team went 5-0 overall in these games.
• Across their five previous home games, Denver has an ATS mark of 2-3. Their straight up record in these matchups was 4-1 while averaging 115 points per game.
• Through their last five games as the underdog, the Pelicans have an ATS record of 3-2 and a straight up mark of 3-2.
• In their last five contests as the favorite, Denver has a poor record vs the spread going 2-3. But, they still put together a straight up mark of 3-2.

Pelicans vs Nuggets Prediction

The Pelicans come in as the underdog at +8.5, making them our top choice on the point spread. We not only expect them to cover the spread but also believe they have a strong chance of winning the game outright, especially if you’re aiming for a higher moneyline payout.

As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 229, and our model projects the Pelicans and Nuggets to reach a combined total of 231 points. Our bet is on taking the over.

---

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

---

* 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.