The New Orleans Pelicans are 1-1 so far in the Las Vegas Summer League after winning their last game against the Golden State Warriors.
Two-way guard Dereon Seabron scored 25 points for the Pels in that win, but the team’s last two lottery picks – Jordan Hawkins and Dyson Daniels – both also found themselves in double figures in the game.
New Orleans has scored the ball well, dropping 88 and 94 points in its first two games. Now, it takes on a Phoenix Suns team that beat the Miami Heat 73-70 on Monday night. This is the second game of a back-to-back for a Phoenix team that has yet to break 75 points in Las Vegas.
The Suns don’t have a ton of top-line talent on their Summer League roster, and that has led to New Orleans being favored in this game.
Should bettors trust the Pels to move to 2-1? Here are the latest odds and my best bet:
Suns vs. Pelicans odds, spread and total
Spread
- Suns +3.5
- Pelicans -3.5
Moneyline
- Suns: +140
- Pelicans: -165
Total
- 181.5 (Over -110/Under -110)
Odds are available via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Suns vs. Pelicans prediction and pick
I faded the Suns yesterday and they ended up beating Miami, but Jaime Jacquez Jr. didn’t play in that game for Miami.
As long as the Pelicans play Hawkins, Seaborn and Daniels, they are a much more talented team, and they’ve been much better on offense than the Suns.
Phoenix is playing defensive basketball, averaging 74 points per game through the first two games of Summer League. That’s going to be hard to keep up and win when taking on a team averaging 91 points per game.
The Suns shot just 3-for-19 from beyond the arc on Monday night, and now they have a quick turnaround with this game against New Orleans.
I’ll take the Pels to cover the 3.5 points on Tuesday.
Pick: Pelicans -3.5 (-110)
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.