The New Orleans Pelicans will return to the Big Easy to take on the Suns in the pivotal game 6 of their first-round playoff series.
It’s win or go home for the Pels, who would love to push the number one seed to a game 7 and see what happens.
But they have to take care of business at home first, which won’t be easy, especially if the Suns get Devin Booker back.
While Booker is still officially listed as out for tonight, he is going to be a game-time decision and will almost certainly play if the Pelicans are able to force a game 7 back in Phoenix.
The Pelicans will need better shooting from Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum to have a chance, and will have to slow Chris Paul and stifle the Suns’ role players, as they did in their game 4 victory.
Can the Pelicans keep their Cinderella story going?
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Phoenix Suns: Odds, spread, over/under and best bets
According to WynnBET, the Pelicans are two point underdogs at home tonight against the Suns. This line is a pretty good indication that the sports books don’t think Booker is going to play, otherwise the spread would be higher.
The money lines are set at +112 for New Orleans and -135 for Phoenix, so if you like the Pels to defend their home court, then just take them to win outright and get the better odds. New Orleans will be playing for their season in front of their home fans, which could cause some early jitters, but the crowd should help give the Pels an advantage overall and I like them to win.
The over/under is 214 points, down a point and a half from last game, which was the first game the two teams didn’t go over.
But the Pelicans play much better at home, so I like the over again in this one, with the Pelicans winning 120-112 to send the series back to Phoenix.
This will be Brandon Ingram’s game to showcase himself on the national stage, as the Pels don’t stand much of a chance of pulling the upset unless both he and McCollum have good games.
I think they will, so those are your obvious plays in daily fantasy. McCollum has been struggling a bit, so Jonas Valanciunas is another option, though he has been up and down in this series too.
Low-cost plays in daily fantasy are a lot harder to come by, as the Pelicans haven’t gotten consistent bench production from anyone.
The Pelicans will need someone from their bench to contribute, so take your best guess, but the best bets are probably Larry Nance Jr. and Jose Alvarado.
How to watch Pelicans vs. Suns
Good news! The tip-off is at 6:30 PM CT, so the local fans are finally getting a decent start time, though it does give you less time to pre-game. You can watch on Bally Sports New Orleans or listen on ESPN 100.3 FM.