Denver Nuggets @ New Orleans Pelicans - November 15, 2024

Alright, folks, it’s time to dive into some NBA action this Friday night as the Denver Nuggets ride a five-game winning streak into Smoothie King Center to face the struggling New Orleans Pelicans. This matchup is shaping up to be intriguing for bettors like us who love a good challenge and a chance at some value.

The oddsmakers have opened with the Pelicans as slight favorites, laying 1.5 points against the Nuggets. But let’s not kid ourselves here; if you’ve been keeping an eye on these teams, you can see the Nuggets are on fire right now. With their offense averaging nearly 121 points per game and shooting at almost 48% from the field, they’re looking like a well-oiled machine. And let’s not forget their impressive ability to dish out assists; they average close to 31 per game. That kind of ball movement is hard to stop.

Now, contrast that with what we’ve seen from the Pelicans lately: they’re limping in off six straight losses and their offense just isn’t clicking at all. Scoring only about 107 points per game while shooting just over 44% is far from inspiring, especially when they’re giving up an average of more than 120 points—yikes! Their defense has struggled too, allowing opponents plenty of chances which could mean Denver will be able to exploit them easily tonight.

Given those stats alone, I’m leaning heavily towards Denver taking this one home—not only winning but covering that spread as well. The Nuggets have shown resilience and capability during this current streak, while New Orleans just hasn’t found any rhythm whatsoever.

And here’s where my superstitions come in—I always wear my lucky socks when I’m betting on games like these! It may sound silly but hey, if it works for me after seeing so many ups and downs in this betting world, who am I to change a winning formula?

Looking at the total set at 229.5 seems a bit generous considering both teams’ recent trends. The Pelicans haven’t been able to score with consistency lately and seem lost offensively while their defense has been porous. Meanwhile, I expect that Denver will try to control the pace of this game and make it difficult for New Orleans to get comfortable offensively.

So what do I predict? A solid win for Denver—let’s say something like 115-100—and don’t be surprised if we end up hitting that under mark as well given how poorly New Orleans has been putting up points recently.

All in all, I’m feeling confident about placing my bets tonight with Denver coming out on top while also covering that spread—and remember that underdog rule; if by some twist of fate New Orleans turns things around (which honestly feels like a long shot), then sure enough they’d cover too—but I’m not counting on it!