NBA Odds: Pelicans vs. Wizards
| Pelicans Odds | -2.5 |
| Wizards Odds | +2.5 |
| Over/Under | 242.5 |
| Time | Channel | 7 p.m. ET | NBCS-DC |
The Wizards have won two games in a row and have gone 5-5 over their last 10 games. Washington is still one of the worst teams in the league, but the nature of the play-in tournament provides a real opportunity for the Wizards to make a late-season postseason push (of sorts).
Washington sits one game back of the Chicago Bulls for the 10th and final spot in the play-in tournament. Over their brief two-game winning streak, the Wizards have posted the ninth-best defensive rating in the league, holding opponents to 108.4 points per 100 possessions.
They will need to bring that same defensive intensity on Friday when they take on the Pelicans and red-hot point forward Zion Williamson, who is thriving in his new role.
Over the last 10 games, Williamson is averaging 29.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game on 57% shooting from the field. New Orleans has won three of its last five, but is looking to bounce back from a 10-point home loss to the Knicks.
Our latest PRO Report shows that sharp bettors are expecting Zion to show up big, and are thusly aligned in backing the Pelicans to get back on track on Friday night.
NBA Picks: Pelicans vs. Wizards
Sharp Action
The line for Pelicans-Wizards opened at Pelicans +1.5 before it was pushed up to -2.5.
Since last night, there have been four Action Labs Bet Signals triggered on the Pelicans, signaling the sharp action moving Friday's spread.
Big Money
At the time of this writing, the 34% of bettors backing the Pelicans have generated 88% of the money wagered on Friday's game.
PRO Systems
Friday's Pelicans-Wizards game fits neatly into our NBA Tickets vs Money PRO System, which has a 55% against-the-spread (ATS) win rate and an 8% return on investment since 2015.
PRO Report Pick: Pelicans -2.5
