Coming in off a win over Houston, the Pelicans back-to-back set will conclude in Chicago as they battle the Bulls. Chicago last took the floor on Monday, having a day off since last taking the court. They will again be without Lauri Markkanen, who will miss between two and four weeks. He and Wendell Carter Jr. just can’t stay healthy.
New Orleans looked just like the vintage Spurs last night, as no starter played more than 30 minutes, all of them getting ample opportunities for rest as the bench had played well. Either that, or it was just the fact that it was a back-to-back set, and Stan Van Gundy didn’t want to ride his starters too hard. Josh Hart had 20 points and 17 rebounds in 40 minutes of action off the bench.
Chicago, meanwhile, is in search of their tenth win of the year. They enter play at 9-14, certainly disappointed with their effort to date. They aren’t getting consistent play from Coby White, who has improved his averages from a year ago. But they need him to be the #2 behind Zach LaVine, and it still isn’t happening like that.
ODDS:
The spread for Wednesday’s game is set at Pelicans -3. The over/under is 230 points.
Pels Look to Sweep Back-to-Back
Coming in off a win the prior night is always good for a team’s confidence. When your top two guys combined to log 51 minutes, chances are that they are both fresh and ready to log 35+ the following game. Zion was on fire in the short spurts he played last night when foul trouble wasn’t rearing its head at him. And Brandon Ingram hit some big shots to help put the game out of reach in the fourth.
The team went 10-deep for the first time, Nickeil Alexander Walker and Kira Lewis Jr. sharing the floor for stretches. Willy Hernangomez got the backup center minutes that mostly been going to Jaxson Hayes. But whatever it was, everything just clicked into place for New Orleans. Houston being without Victor Oladipo and Christian Wood really made a difference.
Let’s see if New Orleans can get win #11.
Bulls Looking to Slow Pelicans
It’s been an up-and-down campaign for the Bulls, with more negatives than positives. But, rookie Patrick Williams has been continuing to make plays for the team, showing up whenever they need him. Considering that he was the youngest player selected, he’s coming along very nicely. And Thaddeus Young is filling in a lot of absent, injury minutes by playing his best ball in several seasons.
Most folks think that the Bulls are all about Zach LaVine, and his play is the determining factor in their wins and losses. But that’s very much untrue. He can score 20, 30, or even 50. But if the other players don’t contribute, they won’t win. LaVine is a terrific player, but they need team efforts to secure victories.
Pelicans Hand Chicago the L
The Pels will come into Chicago and take a W at the United Center on Wednesday. You heard it here.
FREE PLAY: PELICANS -3
OVER/UNDER: OVER 230
100% up to $3,000 Bonus
Bovada is our most recommended ONLINE CASINO and POKER ROOM for US players with excellent deposit options. Get your 100% signup bonus today.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.