Spurs vs. Pelicans Odds for NBA Play-In: Opening Line Favors New Orleans (Wednesday, April 13)

Spurs vs. Pelicans NBA Play-In Odds

The bottom half of the Western Conference Play-In Tournament is officially set. The San Antonio Spurs, after losing to the Golden State Warriors in Game 81, will play on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans in the No. 10 vs. No. 9 matchup Wednesday night.

The winner of that game will go on to the play the loser of the Los Angeles Clippers vs. MinnesotaTimberwolves on Friday night for the No. 8 seed in the playoffs.

Spurs NBA Playoff Odds

The Spurs, in typical fashion, have flown under the radar for most of the season and weren't really a threat to make the Play-In Tournament until late in the season when the Los Angeles Lakers were faltering.

The Spurs will finish with their second-worst win percentage under Gregg Popovich but their expected record, based on basketball reference's Pythagorean Win formula, suggest they should be at worst a .500 team.

They found themselves in a similar position last season — on the road as the No. 10 team in the West — and nearly knocked off the Memphis Grizzlies. This season, led by their All-Star Dejounte Murray, the Spurs are again in a potential upset spot as the road underdog.

In 31 games as a road dog, the Spurs went 19-12 against the spread and 12-19 straight up. No team was more profitable on the moneyline in that scenario than the Spurs and only the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder were more profitable ATS this season, according to Bet Labs.

Pelicans NBA Playoff Odds

The Pelicans have been trending upward since they traded for CJ McCollum in February.

They have the fifth-best Net Rating in the NBA since the All-Star break, per NBA Advanced Stats and have a 13-9 record over that span. Defensively, the Pels rank in the top 10 over that time frame as well allowing 111.7 points per 100.

These two teams have played three times since McCollum joined the Pelicans and New Orleans is 1-2 in those matchups. While they will have the home court advantage, the Pelicans haven't taken advantage of that situation down the stretch — they are 7-8 SU and ATS at home with McCollum.

While covering this number may be up in the air for the Pelicans given their metrics, they have been able to handle bad teams with 9-5 record against below-.500 teams over this span.