Spurs vs. Pelicans NBA Odds and Preview – April 13th, 2022

By Hank Blaine • April 12, 2022

The season will end Wednesday for either Western Conference No. 10 seed San Antonio or No. 9 New Orleans as they meet in the play-in tournament from the Big Easy. The loser is done and the winner gets at least one more game.

The winner of this game will play Friday against either the Clippers or Timberwolves for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference and a first-round date with top-seeded Phoenix. The Spurs have more road wins (18) than home wins (16) this season.

“This is what you sign up for,” Spurs star Dejounte Murray said. “You see what you’re made of. You go out and don’t worry about mistakes. You don’t worry about anything besides winning a basketball game. Whatever it takes, give it your all. It’s win or go home, and I love these types of games. We don’t want to go home, so we have to approach it like we don’t want to go home and get a win.”

It appears both teams are healthy entering the play-in tournament other than of course Pelicans star Zion Williamson, who has yet to play this season due to a broken foot. He has progressed to doing full-time work but even if the Pelicans got to the West Finals, which they aren’t doing, there’s no way they’d rush Zion back. The Spurs will be without sharpshooter Doug McDermott but we knew that as he was lost several weeks ago for the year. Guard Lonnie Walker IV is listed as day-to-day but is expected to suit up for the play-in game.

Nitrobetting is ready for the postseason. Find a full preview of the Spurs vs. Pelicans game below. We present you with game details, team and player stats, the latest NBA betting odds, trends, and predictions–all of which help you lock in on the best picks.

Spurs vs. Pelicans Game Information

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— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) April 12, 2022

When: Wednesday, April 13, 2022, 9:30 PM ET
Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
TV: ESPN
Radio: 1200 AM WOAI (Spurs) / KLRZ 100.3 FM (Pelicans)
Live Stream: NBA League Pass
NBA Betting Odds: Spurs (+5) / Pelicans (-5)

Why Bet on the San Antonio Spurs?

San Antonio was 3-1 against New Orleans this season and won the most recent meeting 107-103 in the Big Easy on March 26. All-Star Spurs guard Murray had a triple-double of 15 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds. Jose Alvarado had a career-high 23 points for the Pels.

In none of those four Spurs games did the Pelicans use the starting lineup they were most comfortable with at the end of the season: CJ McCollum at lead guard; Herb Jones, Brandon Ingram and Jaxson Hayes on the wings; and Jonas Valanciunas at center. In 142 minutes, that lineup scored at a clip of 122.6 points per 100 possessions.

Keldon Johnson quietly had himself quite a season for San Antonio and a finish, averaging 21.8 ppg in his last 10 games and giving the Spurs a secondary source of offense next to Murray. The Spurs have their youngest roster ever since Gregg Popovich became coach in 1996, with an average age of 25.0. The roster this season includes eight players under the age of 25 and 13-of-17 players under the age of 27. The next youngest teams: 2020-21 (25.5) and 2019-20 (26.3).

Spurs center Jakob Poeltl is averaging a near double-double (13.5 ppg, 9.3 rpg), but will meet his match in Jonas Valanciunas (17.8 ppg, 11.4 ppg) in what should present an intriguing battle for paint supremacy.

Why Bet on the New Orleans Pelicans?

New Orleans’ Brandon Ingram was the only player in the NBA during the regular season to average 22-plus points, 5.4-plus assists, 5.5-plus rebounds and three or less turnovers per game. The Pelicans also got much better around the February trade deadline in landing guard CJ McCollum from Portland. J McCollum finished the regular season tied for 20th in the NBA in three-pointers made per game (3.0).

The rookie Alvarado played 54 games this season for the Pelicans. He finished the season with a total plus/minus of plus-143 on the season, which led all rookies in the NBA. In addition, Alvarado has been very efficient and effective when entering the game, as he is ranked 1st among all NBA rookies with a 3.80 assist/turnover ratio and he is ranked 2nd among NBA rookies in steals per game (1.3).

Spurs vs. Pelicans Betting Trends

Spurs are 7-0 ATS in the last 7 meetings in New Orleans.
Spurs are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games overall.
The total went under in 12 of the Spurs’ last 18 games.
Pelicans are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as a home favorite.
Pelicans are 5-16 ATS in their last 21 Wednesday games.
The total went under in 9 of Pelicans’ last 13 games.

Spurs vs. Pelicans Expert Betting Prediction

Spurs ATS (but Pels win)

This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at Nitrobetting news. Stay tuned for more NBA game previews and articles and don’t forget to check out the latest Basketball betting odds on the sportsbook.

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