With the Pelicans hanging on to the ninth seed in the Western Conference playoff race, Ingram’s return from a hamstring injury has been timely. Not only is New Orleans 3-0 since its leading scorer returned to the lineup, but Brandon Ingram looks healthy and primed for a big playoff workload.
Since the trade to acquire CJ McCollum, we’ve seen Ingram take on more of a facilitator role. The former Duke Blue Devil is averaging 5.9 assists per game when the two share the floor.
More notably, Ingram has eclipsed this line in eight of nine games with McCollum in the lineup and Devonte Graham relegated to a bench role. His lone miss was a five-assist performance in 26 minutes during first game back from injury.
The Clippers rate league-average in opponent assists per game since the All-Star break (24.9 per game – 16th most). Ingram will also likely have a tougher individual matchup with Paul George, which should prompt more facilitating.
With New Orleans looking to solidify their playoff positioning, I expect heavy minutes once again for the Pelicans wing. I have Ingram projected at six assists, making this a value play on BetMGM at +115.
Pick: Brandon Ingram Over 5.5 Assists +115 (play down to -115)
