A clash between two Southwest teams happens on Thursday night at the Smoothie King Center. A struggling Spurs side takes on the Western Conference third seed, New Orleans Pelicans. This is their third of four meetings in the regular season, with the Pelicans securing a pair of comfortable wins. Nevertheless, Gregg Popovich will try to build on a recent victory over the Rockets and take advantage of a Pelicans side sporting a four-game losing streak.

Nitrobetting shares the latest news, NBA odds, and special features throughout the 2022-23 NBA season. Let’s get a closer look at the upcoming Spurs vs. Pelicans face-off in this preview.

Spurs vs. Pelicans Game Information

shootin hoops pic.twitter.com/sVkJ41rTOj

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) December 21, 2022

• When: Thursday, Decemeber 22, 2022, 8:00 PM ET
• Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
• TV: BSNO, BSSW-SA
• Radio: 103.3 The G.O.A.T. (Spurs) // WRNO 99.5 FM (Pelicans)
• Live Stream: NBA League Pass
• NBA Betting Odds: Spurs (+8) // Pelicans (-8)

READ MORE: Wizards vs. Jazz 2022 NBA Odds and Preview – December 22nd

Why Bet on the San Antonio Spurs?

The Spurs hold the second-worst record in the Western Conference right now. It’s not surprising given that the franchise is rebuilding its core. But, we’ve seen some impressive performances come from the team this season. They started the campaign well with five wins in seven games but eventually fell into a rut in November.

As a team, the Spurs average 110.3 points per game on 46.5% shooting. Keldon Johnson is the Spurs’ leader in minutes and points, averaging 32.63 minutes and 21.07 points in 27 games. Shooting guard Devin Vassell is not far off with 20.04 points per game. The squad records 53.4% from close to mid-range while maintaining a 34.6% average from deep. Furthermore, given that Popovich is the brain behind this young squad, it’s not surprising to see the Spurs hold the third-best assists record with 27.4 assists per game.

There’s not much to see on the defensive side of things. San Antonio holds one of the worst numbers today, allowing 119.5 opponent points per game on 50.5% opponent shooting. Jakob Poeltl leads the team in rebounds with 9.50 boards per game and plays a huge part in the Spurs’ 50.7 total rebounds per game.

Why Bet on the New Orleans Pelicans?

It wasn’t long ago when the Pelicans topped the Western Conference table. However, a streak of four defeats dropped the team back to the third seed coming into Thursday’s game. With all that, New Orleans stays within a shot of the top spot before December ends with an 18 and 12 record.

Head coach Willie Green needs to recover from the four-game losing ditch the team is in now. Home advantage is a huge plus coming into the contest, and a date with one of the bottom seeds of the conference might do the trick. On offense, the Pelicans have the third-best record with 117.3 points per game on a solid 48.5% shooting. They rotate the ball well and log 27.0 assists per game. Zion Williamson tops the Pels charts as he records 25.16 points per game, with Brandon Ingram and C.J. McCollum joining him with averages north of 18 points per game.

Defensively, the hosts have a definite advantage. They limit opponents to 112.5 points per game and keep their shooting to 46.4%. The Pelicans are masters of perimeter defense, limiting opponents to 33.7% beyond the arc. As for collecting boards, they hold the seventh-best record in the league and average 53.0 total rebounds per game.

Spurs vs. Pelicans Betting Trends

• The Spurs are 2-2 in the last four road games (2-2 ATS).
• The Spurs are 5-5 in the previous ten meetings against the Pelicans (6-4 ATS).
• The totals went over in two of the Spurs’ last three road games.
• The Pelicans are 4-1 in the previous five games at Smoothie King Center (3-2 ATS).
• The Pelicans are 1-4 in the previous five games (1-4 ATS).
• The totals went under in four of the Pelicans’ last ten games.

Spurs vs. Pelicans Expert Betting Prediction

San Antonio might have a shorthanded lineup with starters Keldon Johnson and Jakob Poeltl on day-to-day. But, things don’t look good for the hosts with starters Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson listed out due to injury. It’s tough to back the visitors, but the pelicans cooling off this week is good news for the Spurs. The Pels are also without their star player in this one, while the Spurs won a few games in the last few weeks. Covering the spread should be doable for San Antonio, and a win might be closer than many expect. But, the title of the favorite remains with the hosts in this battle.

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This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at Nitrobetting news. Stay tuned for more 2022-23 NBA season previews and articles and don’t forget to check out the latest basketball betting odds on our online BTC sportsbook.

*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.