NBA Betting Odds, Picks and Predictions: Pelicans vs. Kings (Tuesday, August 11)

Pelicans vs. Kings Betting Odds

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You've got to believe the NBA had stars in its eyes when it marked this game for the final slot of the night on TNT just days before the playoffs. Welp.

Things didn't exactly go according to plan for either of these teams. The Kings are only 1-5, and their one win came against these Pelicans. New Orleans is 2-4 itself, and one of those wins was against the Wizards. Simply put, Sacramento and New Orleans have looked young and inexperienced, poor on defense, and not ready for the spotlight.

And now, both of them have been eliminated from the playoff hunt. While this game is no longer relevant for the playoffs, it still features a ton of young talent and not much defense, so we might as well have a little fun.

New Orleans Pelicans

What was that about fun? The Pelicans will rest Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and Jrue Holiday in this one. So much for that.

With all three stars resting, expect this to look much more like a Summer League affair. Expect plenty of Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Jaxson Hayes, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. That should be fun but also unpredictable. We're not going to get much defense from this team, but that's not exactly new for the Pelicans.

The truth is we don't really know what to expect from these Pelicans. How hard will veterans like J.J. Redick or Derrick Favors go? How much will the team look to push its youngsters? Will it even care to go for the win? The season is over now, so this is about the future.

Sacramento Kings

If you're thinking, well at least the Kings are fun, I've got some bad news. De'Aaron Fox is also sitting this one out with a sore shoulder, and he's the lifeblood of this team. Richaun Holmes is out, too, while Kent Bazemore is questionable and probably won't see the floor considering the team has nothing to play for. Of course, Marvin Bagley has missed the whole bubble, too.

Like New Orleans, there's still some talent left. It's just not that exciting. Names like Harrison Barnes and Bogdan Bogdanovic aren't selling a lot of tickets. The Kings have lost by at least nine points four times in the bubble and really only showed up in their one win, which came against these Pelicans.

The Kings don't even have many youngsters to throw into the mix, so what you see is what you get. I wonder if this could end up being a Buddy Hield game. Hield signed a big contract extension last summer but was off all season, eventually got moved to the bench, and has been miserable in the bubble with only 12.5 PPG on 36% shooting. It's possible Sacramento could give Buddy the green light in hopes of highlighting him heading into the summer as a potential trade chip.

Betting Analysis & Pick

If there's one thing you can be certain of in this game, it's not a lot of defense. The Kings were bottom 10 in the NBA pre-bubble and have been atrocious in Orlando, allowing 124.7 points per game. The Pelicans were almost as bad pre-bubble and have been awful at times in Orlando, giving up 116.7 points per game in the bubble, including 140 to the Kings.

The total on this game opened at 230.5 and is rising quickly; it sits at 232.5 as of Tuesday morning. I wouldn't be shocked if it cleared 235 by tip. There's a lot of scoring and creation missing from this game, but we're also missing some of the only defense available. The scoring may not always be efficient, but there should be plenty. Sacramento's pace could be down a bit without Fox, but I like New Orleans to push the pace with Ball and Hayes.

There are no props posted for this one as of Tuesday morning, but I'd love to grab a Buddy Hield points over when it becomes available. I suspect the line will be around 15, but I think he should be in the 20s.

Given the lines available, I'm leaning toward the over. The absence of Fox makes me a bit queasy on Sacramento's pace and creation, but I'm pretty confident the Pelicans will score on that awful Kings defense. I'll play the Pelicans 115.5 team over and would play that up to 117.5 if needed.

[Bet $20+ on the Kings at PointsBet and Win $125 if they make at least one 3-pointer]