The season is right around the corner and the New Orleans Pelicans have opened with +6600 odds for the 2020-21 NBA Championship. The experts here at SportsTips have taken the time to review every single NBA team and offer up their opinion on how each team is expected to perform in the 2020-21 season, meaning you can place your best NBA bets with confidence.
So, without further ado, have a read on below at all our NBA betting stats and information on the New Orleans Pelicans:
New Orleans Pelicans’ 2019-20 Season Review
New Orleans started their 2019 offseason by trading Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers for Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart and three first round picks. They then followed this up by drafting Zion Williamson with the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Ingram became the lead player for the team, having his best season to date by averaging 23.8 points and 6.1 rebounds, earning himself his first All Star Game appearance and winning Most Improved Player.
Star number one pick, Williamson, didn’t see an NBA court until late January due to a knee issue, but when he returned, he starred. In just 24 games, Williamson was able to manage 22.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, coming second in Rookie of the Year voting.
With the often underrated Jrue Holiday and sharpshooting JJ Redick on the team, the young players had veteran leadership helping them develop. However the Pelicans could only manage a 30-42 record, finishing 13th in the West.
Ranking 17th and 19th in offensive and defensive rating respectively, New Orleans was really a bottom to middle of the road team that would have surprised if they made playoffs, but not really surprised to finish where they did.
They finished 33-34-3 against the spread, 20th best in the league while had a record of 36-33-1 in totals betting, good enough for 17th.
If you want to be a winner, you have to make yourself uncomfortable ‼️ pic.twitter.com/dqLLP9OCqu
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) December 6, 2020
New Orleans Pelicans’ Offseason Changes
After failing to make the playoffs in the last two seasons, the New Orleans Pelicans decided to part ways with Alvin Gentry as head coach. In the 2020 offseason, the Pelicans hired Stan Van Gundy as new head coach.
The New Orleans Pelicans entered the 2020 NBA Draft with picks 13, 39, 42 and 60. In the days before the trade, New Orleans made one of the biggest moves of the offseason, agreeing to send their star guard Jrue Holiday and pick 60 to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Eric Bledsoe, George Hill, pick 24 and multiple other first round picks and swaps.
The Pelicans then sent pick 24 to the Denver Nuggets for a future first round selection.
New Orleans also sent out the 39th and 42nd picks, trading 39 to the Utah Jazz for a future second round pick and cash considerations while sending 42 to the Charlotte Hornets for just a future second round pick.
In their only draft addition, New Orleans used the 13th pick to draft Kira Lewis Jr., a guard out of Alabama.
Players In: Steven Adams, Eric Bledsoe, Willy Hernangomez
Players Out: Jrue Holiday, E’Twaun Moore, Derrick Favors, Jahlil Okafor, Kenrich Williams, Darius Miller, Josh Gray, Zylan Cheatham
New Orleans Pelicans’ 2020-21 Season Preview
One year after trading Anthony Davis, the Pelicans traded Jrue Holiday, their star guard from the last seven seasons. New Orleans got four first round picks as well as Steven Adams and Eric Bledsoe in return for Holiday as they continue to stockpile picks while still pushing for contention now.
With Zion Williamson seeming to get back to full health and Brandon Ingram taking a massive leap with more responsibility, the Pelicans have two stars in the making that they can rely on.
With Holiday gone, guards like Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart will also be able to handle the ball more, get more shots and have an opportunity to improve for the Pelicans that could have contended for a playoff spot if fully healthy for the whole season.
The addition of Adams gives New Orleans a solid and dependable center, being an upgrade over the departing Derrick Favors. He is a tough defender, sets good screens, a good passer for his size and has playoff experience that will help this young outfit.
This team has plenty of room to grow together and improve by playing more games together, and with +6600 odds for the NBA Championship and +4000 odds for the Western Conference Championship, they have some value as they will definitely improve on their 30-42 output from last season.
Will the New Orleans Pelicans Make the Playoffs?
This is one of the toughest ones to pick. In games that Williamson played last season, the Pelicans were 11-13, a winning percentage which if extrapolated over a full season would have only been good enough for 11th in the West.
Holiday is a massive loss, but another year of development for their young players plus the addition of Adams and Bledsoe means that the Pelicans should improve.
There are 10 teams that can legitimately make the playoffs in the West, and New Orleans seem to be in the bottom 3-4 of those teams meaning that could finish anywhere from seventh to tenth.
Due to their age and inexperience, the Pelicans are on the outer looking in at the moment, but a playoff berth wouldn’t surprise.
The entirety of the first day of training camp practice was focused on one thing.
“Defense, defense, defense.”
Story by @Jim_Eichenhofer:https://t.co/w86AaKwBgA
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) December 6, 2020
New Orleans Pelicans’ Key Games
December 25: @ Miami Heat: Christmas Day, Zion & Ingram v Butler & Bam
January 8: vs Charlotte Hornets: Battle of the Balls – Lonzo v LaMelo
January 11: @ Dallas Mavericks: Next face of the NBA? – Zion v Luka
January 13: @ Los Angeles Clippers: Zion & Ingram v Kawhi & George
January 15: @ Los Angeles Lakers: The Trade – Ingram, Ball & Hart v AD, Zion v LeBron
January 19: @ Utah Jazz: Up against one of the best in the West
January 29: vs Milwaukee Bucks: Holiday’s return, Zion v Giannis
New Orleans Pelicans’ Betting Summary
The New Orleans Pelicans regular season wins total is set at 35.5 games. After finishing last season with a 30-42 record, the Pels would need to see a six game improvement to get the over.
Also, if they were getting 36 wins on the season, they would likely be sitting in or very close to the eighth seed. Seeing as we have them missing the playoffs, the under at -110 odds seems the bet to take.
New Orleans has good value for the NBA Championship with +6600 odds and for the Western Conference Championship with +4000 odds. There are plenty of better bets with lower odds however.
*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of PointsBet.
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Image by: Peter Woodward
