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Tonight, the Pelicans will be on the road for their third and final matchup of the season vs. the Nuggets. New Orleans and Denver have split the season series at one game a piece. Zion Williamson and the Pelicans are 23-15 heading into this game vs. Denver. That is good enough for sixth overall in the Western Conference. The Pelicans are on a two-game win streak and are 7-3 in their last 10.
Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets are 26-13 this season, third in the West. Denver lost their last matchup to the Jazz, but are still 7-3 in their last 10 games. Earlier this season, the Nuggets beat the Pelicans 134-116 on November 6th but lost 115-110 to New Orleans on November 17th. Tonight’s contest will be their last time playing this season. That is unless these two teams meet in the postseason. Denver will look to get back on a winning streak tonight and take the season series vs. the Pelicans.
The Pelicans will be on the road tonight to face the Nuggets
Big matchup! @PelicansNBA vs. @nuggets
⏰ Pre-Game: 7:30 pm
📺 Bally Sports New Orleans
📲 Bally Sports App#Pelicans pic.twitter.com/TG566lXDaO
— Bally Sports New Orleans (@BallySportsNO) January 12, 2024
Ahead of Friday’s matchup, you can visit BetOnline for all your NBA bets. We’ll look at the best prop bets for the Pelicans vs. Nuggets game.
NBA Odds: Prop Bets for Pelicans vs. Nuggets game on ESPN
1. Jonas Valanciunas Over 8.5 rebounds @ (-124) via BetOnline
In the 2011 NBA Draft, Jonas Valanciunas was the fifth overall pick by the Raptors. He played seven seasons in Toronto before being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in 2018-19. The 31-year-old played three seasons with Memphis. Valanciunas has been with New Orleans for the past three seasons. His (9.7) rebounds per game are the lowest of his career since 2018-19, but he still leads the team in that department in 2023-24.
His O/U for rebounds is set at (8.5) vs. the Nuggets. Valanciunas has gone over that number in 24 of his 38 games played this season Additionally, he’s gone over that number in four of his last five games played. He’ll be battling Denver’s Nikola Jokic for rebounds. The veteran big man had 11 rebounds in a game earlier this season vs. the Nuggets.
2. Aaron Gordon Over 13.5 points @ (-107) via BetOnline
Aaron Gordan was traded from the Orlando Magic in 2020-21 to the Denver Nuggets. It took some time for Gordon to build chemistry with his new teammates. However, the Nuggets achieved the ultimate goal of winning the NBA Finals last season. The 28-year-old was crucial to Denver’s success in the postseason last year. While his numbers don’t jump off the page, Gordon finds ways to make his presence felt for the Nuggets.
This season, Gordon’s scoring numbers are down compared to his 2022-23 season. He’s averaging (13.8) points per game this season compared to (16.3) last year. His O/U for points is set at (13.5) vs. the Pelicans. Gordon has gone over that number in 17 of his 33 games played this season. The 2023 NBA Champ had over (13.5) points in each of Denver’s first two matchups vs, New Orleans in 2023-24.
3. Brandon Ingram Over (32.5) points, rebounds, and assists @ (-106) via BetOnline
Brandon Ingram started his career with the Lakers after being 2nd overall by the team in 2016. After three seasons with Los Angeles, he was traded in a package deal for all-star PF Anthony Davis. Ingram has been with New Orleans for the past five seasons since that trade happened. He’s enjoyed a nice career with the Pelicans and earned an all-star selection in his first season with the team. In 2023-24, his (22.0) points and (5.4) assists per game currently leads the team.
Tonight, his O/U for points, rebounds, and assists are set at (32.5) vs. the Nuggets. Ingram has gone over that number in 12 of his 35 games played for the Pelicans this season. New Orleans will be looking for a win vs. Denver to get the 2-1 series lead vs. the defending NBA Champs. The tip-off for this game is at 10:00 p.m. EST on ESPN.