The Philadelphia 76ers (23-48) and New Orleans Pelicans (19-53) will meet in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m. ET at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. The game will broadcast live on NBA League Pass.
The Pelicans are 6-point favorites over the Sixers on the spread (Pelicans -6), with the over/under set at 231.5 total points. New Orleans is a -230 favorite to win outright, while Philadelphia is +190 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my 76ers vs. Pelicans predictions and NBA picks for Monday, March 24.
76ers vs. Pelicans Picks, Prediction
My Pelicans vs. 76ers best bet is on Jose Alvarado Over 4.5 Assists, with the best line currently available at Fanatics. But as always, make sure to shop for the best line using our live NBA odds page.
My Pick: Jose Alvarado Over 4.5 Assists
76ers vs. Pelicans Odds
| 76ers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6 -110 | 231.5 -111o / -110u | +190 |
| Pelicans Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6 -110 | 231.5 -111o / -110u | -230 |
- 76ers vs. Pelicans spread: Pelicans -6
- 76ers vs. Pelicans over/under: 231.5 total points
- 76ers vs. Pelicans moneyline: 76ers +190, Pelicans -230
- 76ers vs. Pelicans best bet:Jose Alvarado Over 4.5 Assists (-125)
76ers vs. Pelicans Preview
There are a few pieces of news we're waiting on with New Orleans tonight. This is a back-to-back, so some of the veterans could sit. I'm going to go ahead and label CJ McCollum as doubtful, considering he played 37 minutes last night and has rested in the last two back-to-back situations. I agree with that stance. Zion Williamson is also questionable. He's missed the past two games.
Jose Alvarado should start at point guard regardless of the statuses of McCollum and Williamson. He's averaged exactly 5 assists per game this month, so it's not like we need either of them to be ruled out. It would just be a nice bump, particularly with distribution.
With Brandon Ingram, Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy, and McCollum off the floor, Alvarado has seen a 5.3% usage rate bump. His assist rate is up over 30% in that sample (298 minutes). The sample size gets cut in half if you also take Williamson off the floor (142 minutes), but Alvarado's assist rate has jumped up above 40% in those situations.
Philadelphia is a tremendous matchup. They're 29th in defensive rating and points allowed per game in March. Only the Spurs are allowing more assists per game. For the season, only the Nuggets have allowed a higher opponent assisted field goal rate than the Sixers. Even when Philly was healthy, they were giving up a high rate of assisted buckets.
Blowouts have been a problem for the Pelicans lately, as they had multiple 40-point losses last week. However, they're favored by 6 points tonight. This game should stay competitive.
Best Bet: Jose Alvarado Over 4.5 Assists (-125)
76ers vs. Pelicans Prediction
You know it's the end of March when we're betting on guys like Chuma Okeke. He's been thrown onto this rag-tag Philly team and is suddenly playing 30+ minutes a night. Okeke has started the past 2 games and should remain in the starting lineup tonight with the Sixers still missing all of their primary players.
Okeke has taken 67% of his shots from beyond the arc. This is an excellent matchup for 3-point shooters. New Orleans is allowing the 2nd-most made 3-pointers, the 2nd-most 3-point attempts, and the 5th-highest 3-point percentage. They're dead last in defensive rating and 27th in points allowed per game.
Okeke isn't a high-usage player, but he seems locked into strong minutes in what is basically the ideal matchup for his offensive approach. I'd expect this number to be higher when other market officially opens up everywhere.
Pick: Chuma Okeke Over 7.5 Points (-135)
Same Game Parlay Picks
- Jose Alvarado Over 4.5 Assists
- Chuma Okeke Over 7.5 Points
Parlay Payout: +215
Pelicans vs. 76ers Betting Trends
