The Golden State Warriors are playing some of their best basketball when it matters most, winning nine of their last 10 games. Golden State will be in the play-in tournament, but can still improve its seeding with wins over its final two regular-season games.
Speaking of teams needing a victory, the Pelicans have won three straight but are still trying to hold off the Phoenix Suns (one-game lead) for the final automatic playoff spot in the Western Conference. The two teams split two previous meetings this season with each team winning in blowout fashion. Who comes out on top this time? Here’s the betting preview for the conference crash with a best bet.
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Pelicans vs. Warriors odds, spread and total
Pelicans vs. Warriors how to watch
- Date: Friday, April 12
- Game time: 10 p.m. EST
- Venue: Chase Center
- How to watch (TV): Bally Sports
- Pelicans record: 48-32
- Warriors record: 45-35
Pelicans vs. Warriors injury report
New Orleans Pelicans
- Not yet submitted
Golden State Warriors
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Pelicans vs. Warriors key players to watch
New Orleans Pelicans
CJ McCollum: The veteran guard has picked up the slack on the offensive end with Brandon Ingram sidelined. McCollum has scored 30-plus points in four of his last five games. In the one game he didn’t hit the 30-point mark, he finished with 29 in Tuesday’s road win over Portland. McCollum is shooting 50% from beyond the arc in April, going 32-of-64 from deep.
Golden State Warriors
Klay Thompson: Thompson may have taken a step back this season as the Splash Brother is under 40% from 3-point range for just the second time in his career. However, he’s found his groove during Golden State’s 9-1 stretch, pouring in 27-plus points in three of his last four games. Thompson has knocked down 24 three-pointers in five games. Thompson missed Thursday’s win over Portland with a knee injury and his status for Friday is uncertain.
Pelicans vs. Warriors prediction and pick
Golden State has been good for backers on the tail end of a back-to-back, going 9-6-1 ATS with no rest this season. The Pelicans are 7-5 ATS in that same spot, though, and are one of the best teams in the NBA on the road.
As a road underdog, New Orleans is 13-5-1 ATS, the best mark in the NBA, while the point-spread tax on backing Golden State as a home favorite has gotten expensive (12-20 ATS). Turn your attention toward the perimeter in this matchup between a top-10 Golden State offense and a New Orleans defense that is No. 6 in net rating.
Golden State is fourth in the NBA in 3-point attempts per game (38.9) but no defense is better at defending the perimeter than New Orleans. The Pelicans are the No. 1 defense in the NBA against triples, allowing opponents to connect at just a 34.9% rate. They’ve actually been better defending 3s on the road, holding foes to 34.5% shooting from deep.
Keep running it back with the Pelicans as a road underdog. Take the points.
Game odds update periodically and are subject to change.