Pelicans betting odds vs. Spurs: Who will play in crucial game?

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: The New Orleans Pelicans will not be at full strength for tonight’s game on the road against the San Antonio Spurs.

I know, shocking.

On top of Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Larry Nance Jr. and Kira Lewis Jr., who are all out, both Devonte’ Graham and Jose Alvarado are listed as questionable for tonight’s game, which could be crucial for the play-in standings.

The Spurs are just 1.5 games behind the Pelicans for the final spot, but luckily, they have been terrible of late, winning just three of their last 10 games.

The Pelicans will be leaning heavily on their starting lineup, but someone on the bench is going to have to step up. If Alvarado and Graham are both out, the Pelicans will need contributions from Trey Murphy III, Willy Hernangomez, Naji Marshall and maybe even the invisible man, Tony Snell.

This would be a big win for the Pelicans on the road and would bring them a little closer to the LA Lakers, who are just a game ahead of the Pels in the 9th seed.

The Pelicans are coming off a home loss to the Suns and the Spurs are coming off a victory over OKC that was led by Dejounte Murray. Can New Orleans slow him down and get a key road win?

New Orleans Pelicans vs. San Antonio Spurs: Odds, spread, over/under and best bets

According to WynnBET, New Orleans is a 3.5 point underdog on the road in San Antonio.

The home team is usually spotted three points, so the books see this one as about even.

The money lines are set at +130 for the Pels and -160 for the Spurs. I like the Pelicans to win this one outright, so I would forget the points and get the better odds on the money line.

The over/under is 237.5 which seems really high considering both teams score and allow around 223 points combined on the season. With Brandon Ingram out, I love the under in this one.

As for daily fantasy bets, both CJ McCollum and Jonas Valanciunas will be strong plays with Ingram out. Herbert Jones has been stacking the stat sheet lately but his scoring is up and down so he is always a risky play.

Jaxson Hayes has had three double-digit games in a row and looks to be building some momentum. I like his matchups tonight with Keita Bates-Diop out. He should be able to benefit from the extra attention paid to Valanciunas.

How to watch Pelicans vs. Spurs

The game in San Antonio tips off at 7:30 PM CT and you can watch on Bally Sports New Orleans or listen on ESPN 100.3 FM.