If you want some easy money, bet on Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans.
The New Orleans Pelicans kick off their season tonight against the Toronto Raptors and Zion Williamson is ready to have a break-out season.
The second-year star is eager to prove his health problems are behind him and that he is up to the rigors of playing big minutes for a whole season.
Zion’s health will likely determine whether the Pelicans are in the hunt for the playoffs because if he is 100 percent, he is going to have a huge season.
Many of the betting sites agree as Zion Williamson is picked to score more points per game than LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Jayson Tatum.
He’s only played 24 games and he’s picked to score more points than some of the best players in the league? The crazy thing is, it’s still a smart bet.
New Orleans Pelicans: Betting the over on Zion Williamson’s point total is a smart bet.
According to Bet MGM, Zion Williamson’s over/under is set at 26.5 points per game.
If I were a betting person (which I occasionally am), I’d say hammer the over on this one, here’s why:
Zion Williamson scored 22.5 points per game last season in 27.8 minutes. He logged over 30 minutes in both of the preseason games and his points per minute actually went up slightly.
If Zion consistently plays these types of minutes, he is going to score closer to 30 a game, which was one of my season predictions.
Unlike guys like Brandon Ingram, who often rely on tough shots to get their points, Zion scores almost effortlessly, feasting at the rim with layup after layup.
Zion will be prone to fewer “off nights” because his game does not rely on shooting or the Pelicans even running plays for him.
He gobbles up his own offensive rebounds, rumbles into the lane for layups and suddenly you look up and he has 20 points and the Pels haven’t really run a set for him.
Zion should also shoot more free throws than his 7.4 per game from last season. If he continues to shoot closer to ten a game and keeps knocking them down, he is going to rack up points at the line.
There are a lot of reasons to bet on Zion Williamson this season. The New Orleans Pelicans hope he stays healthy and carries them to the playoffs.