NBA: New Orleans Pelicans vs. New York Knicks Preview, Odds, H2H, Predictions

The New York Knicks are playing against the New Orleans Pelicans at Madison Square Garden this Saturday night. It is only 24 hours following their clash in Washington against the Wizards. The Knicks are currently sixth in the East, holding the position that directly leads to the playoffs. On the other hand, the Pelicans are seventh in their Western Conference and need to make a push to avoid the play-in. We should see a decent battle between two solid teams who like to play tough and attractive basketball. 

Preview

New Orleans Pelicans (30-30, +130) are on the road for the fourth consecutive event, and so far, they’ve posted two losses and a win. Following a win over the Thunder in OKC, the Pels lost in LA against the Lakers and, after that, against the Raptors in Canada, 115-110.

They did have a chance to flip the result in Toronto, outscoring the hosts 33-23 in the final 12 minutes, but running out of juice in a crucial moment and allowing the Raptors to slip away, even though they looked pretty exhausted and tired. 

Brandon Ingram was unstoppable with 36 points and seven boards, and with him on the court, the Pelicans look like a true playoff team. CJ McCollum added 23 points with five assists, but unfortunately, there weren’t other players to step up and help. Jonas Valnciunas had only 12 points and 12 boards, while the entire bench delivered 26 buckets. 

New York Knicks (34-24, -155) have four wins in a row after last night’s triumph in DC. Tom Thibodeau’s boys had been better than the Wizards, 115-109, displaying a strong and confident performance.

The key was the control of the glass, with them decreasing the rival’s number of rebounds to just 34, while they posted 43. Julius Randle had only two boards, but on the other side, he scored 46 points, hitting seven threes in 14 tries. He was highly versatile on the offensive side, one minute stretching the defense and the next muscling toward the basket. 

Apart from the strong power forward, the Knicks had Imannuel Quickley, who entered off the bench to add 16 buckets, while RJ Barrett scored 14 points. Jalen Brunson had 13, shooting 6-for-20 from the field, but dishing nine assists. 

Head-to-Head Games

The all-time series between the two sides is almost even, with the Pelicans winning 20 times and the Knicks once more. This is the first meeting in the 2022/23 season, and the result was tied when it comes to the previous one. The Knicks were better in New Orleans, 123-117, while the Pelicans triumphed at Madison, 102-91. 

Prediction

The Knicks might be a bit tired from the last night, but they can’t afford to miss this chance and put together five victories in a row. New Orleans is a very good team, yet they struggle to win on the road, and tend to underachieve against units that like to be a bit more physical. That’s why we take the hosts to triumph at Madison Square Garden, with the current odds set at -155. They play better at home than on the road, while the Pels do it the opposite way around. 

Pick: New York Knicks Win -155