The New Orleans Pelicans hope to keep rolling through the preseason tonight in Miami as they take on the Heat.
Both teams will be without several regulars, so we won’t get a true evaluation but this will be the best team the Pelicans have faced so far in the young season, so it would be nice to see the Pels keep playing well against one of the Eastern Conference’s best teams.
This will be the Heat’s final preseason tune up before the regular season, so it will be interesting to see if they continue to rest guys like Jimmy Butler or try to get them some minutes.
We could see a healthy dose of both benches tonight, so expect to see just about everyone in this one.
New Orleans Pelicans vs Miami Heat: Odds, Spread, Over/Under
According to FanDuel, the Pelicans are four point underdogs on the road against the Heat*. The money lines are set at +142 for New Orleans and -176 for Miami. There are no point totals or over/under set at this point.
Miami sat just about all of their regulars in the last game and may do so again, as they are a veteran team that doesn’t need the reps, so If you are a degenerate who bets the preseason, the Pels look like a decent bet here.
Pelicans injury report
Kira Lewis Jr. and Jaxson Hayes are out for the near future and CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram, who have yet to play in preseason, are also listed as questionable for this game.
Joining them is veteran Larry Nance Jr., who has some right foot soreness, and rookie Dyson Daniels, who is listed as day-to-day with an ankle, which is likely just a precaution after he injured himself in Summer League.
New Orleans Pelicans vs Miami Heat: Prediction
If Miami sits all of their starters again, then the Pels should be able to get out to an early lead behind Zion Williamson. There is no telling how much the big man is going to play, but when he’s in there he should feast with Adebayo and Butler out of the lineup.
I think the Pels are taking preseason seriously and trying to build momentum. That, coupled with their competition for minutes, will keep them interested in this one, so I think New Orleans will remain undefeated in the preseason.
New Orleans 112, Miami 108
How to watch/stream Pelicans vs Heat
The game vs the Heat tips off at 6:30 PM CT and you can watch on Pelicans.com or listen on WRNO 99.5 FM. You also have the option to stream on League Pass if you are out of market or get a free trial at FUBO.TV.
*Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.