76ers vs. Pelicans NBA Prediction
The Pelicans are 7.5-point home underdogs on Friday night versus the 76ers at 8:00 p.m. ET. Will New Orleans at least cover as a home dog or is there a better bet on the board, whether that’s the Sixers or the total?
Game Snapshot
509 Philadelphia 76ers (-7.5) at 510 New Orleans Pelicans (+7.5); o/u 225.5
8:00 p.m. ET, Friday, April 9, 2021
Venue: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
TV: N/A
Philadelphia 76ers DFS Spin
After a win over the Celtics in which he scored 35 points on 20 free throw attempts, Joel Embiid said “It doesn’t matter who’s in front of me.” He’s got a point. His 20 attempts on Tuesday night were more than the entire Celtics team. He either muscles through defenders or forces them to hack at him on his way to the bucket. “It doesn’t matter who’s in front of me,” he said. “As we’ve seen all season, it doesn’t really matter who has been in front of me. I just attack every single game I want to be aggressive. I want to get the other bigs in foul trouble, I want to get to the bonus early so now they’re going to stop playing physical. Even if they play physical I’m going to use that to my advantage to get the free-throw line.”
New Orleans Pelicans DFS Spin
Lonzo Ball (left hip flexor strain) is questionable on Friday against the Sixers. Ball had played well in three straight games since returning from the hip injury, but now he’s back on the report. He’s missed seven games because of the right hip this season. If he can’t play, New Orleans will be super short-staffed at the guard spot with Nickeil Alexander-Walker sidelined and Kira Lewis Jr. questionable. Isaiah Thomas and Eric Bledsoe could be in for big minutes.
76ers vs. Pelicans Betting Prediction
The 76ers are 7-2-1 against the spread in their last 10 road games, are 7-3-1 against the number in their last 11 games as a favorite and are 5-0-1 at the betting window in their last six games as a road favorite. The Pelicans, meanwhile, are 1-4 against the spread in their last five games as an underdog and are 1-4 against the number in their last five games overall.
NBA BETTING PREDICTION: PHILADELPHIA 76ERS -7.5