Portland Trail Blazers vs New Orleans Pelicans Prediction 1/8/25 NBA Picks

New Orleans Pelicans (7-30) vs Portland Trailblazers (12-23)

Game Info: Wednesday, January 8, 2025 at 8:00 pm (Smoothie King Center)

Betting Odds: New Orleans Pelicans -2.5 -- Over/Under: 226.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds

Where to Watch: NBA League Pass

The Portland Trail Blazers and New Orleans Pelicans meet Wednesday in NBA action at the Smoothie King Center. Here’s a Portland Trail Blazers vs New Orleans Pelicans Prediction. This article will include a Portland Trail Blazers vs New Orleans Pelicans Pick.

Portland Trail Blazers Betting Preview

The Portland Trail Blazers lost to the Pistons, beat the Bucks, and they play the Mavericks, Heat, and Nets next. The Portland Trail Blazers are averaging 108.1 points on 44.9 percent shooting and allowing 116.9 points on 47.9 percent shooting. Anfernee Simons is averaging 18.6 points and 2.7 rebounds, while Shaedon Sharpe is averaging 17.9 points and 3.7 rebounds. Jerami Grant is the third double-digit scorer and Deandre Ayton is grabbing 10.2 rebounds. The Portland Trail Blazers are shooting 33.6 percent from beyond the arc and 77 percent from the free-throw line. The Portland Trail Blazers are allowing 37.6 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 43.2 rebounds per game.

New Orleans Pelicans Betting Preview

The New Orleans Pelicans lost to the Timberwolves, beat the Wizards, and they play the 76ers, Celtics, and Bulls next. The New Orleans Pelicans are averaging 107.2 points on 44 percent shooting and allowing 117.1 points on 48.4 percent shooting. CJ McCollum is averaging 22.8 points and 3.8 rebounds, while Zion Williamson is averaging 22.7 points and 8 rebounds. Brandon Ingram is the third double-digit scorer and Trey Murphy III is grabbing 4.7 rebounds. The New Orleans Pelicans are shooting 33.7 percent from beyond the arc and 76.7 percent from the free throw line. The New Orleans Pelicans are allowing 36.9 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 42.7 rebounds per game.

Why the New Orleans Pelicans will win

  • The Pelicans have won 15 of their last 16 night games against Trail Blazers teams that held a losing record.
  • The Trail Blazers have lost 11 of their last 12 road games against Western Conference opponents.
  • The favorites have covered the spread in six of the Pelicans' last seven games.
  • The Trail Blazers have failed to cover the spread in six of their last seven road games against Western Conference opponents.

Why the Portland Trail Blazers will win

  • The Pelicans have lost each of their last 13 night games following a home loss.
  • The road team has won seven of the Pelicans' last nine games.
  • The underdogs have covered the spread in each of the last four games between the Trail Blazers and Pelicans.
  • The Pelicans have failed to cover the spread in each of their last four games as favorites against Western Conference opponents.

New Orleans Pelicans Player Facts

  • Dejounte Murray is one of only nine players in the league to have recorded 6+ steals in a game this season.
  • Zion Williamson leads all Pelicans players for points per 36 minutes (26.6) this season.

Portland Trail Blazers Player Facts

  • Toumani Camara ranks T29th amongst qualified players for steals per game (1.4) this season.
  • Scoot Henderson ranks 36th amongst qualified players for assists per game (5.1) this season.

Matchup/League Facts

  • The Pelicans rank 29th in the league for field goal percentage this season (44.0%).
  • The Pelicans rank 29th in the league for opponent field goal percentage this season (48.4%).
  • The Trail Blazers rank 28th in the league for point differential per game this season (-8.7).
  • The Trail Blazers rank 28th in the league for assists per game this season (23.2).

Portland Trail Blazers vs New Orleans Pelicans Prediction

This line is a bit strange. Yes, the Pelicans haven't won games this season, and they're on the end of a back-to-back. However, the Portland Trail Blazers aren't good, and you rarely see them with lines this soft, especially on the road. The Pelicans have won two of their last three games, and they just gave the Timberwolves trouble yesterday. The vibes are up for the Pelicans with the return of Jose Alvarado and Zion Williamson. The Pelicans season is over in terms of wins and losses, but this is as good as the Pels have felt all season. Players are coming back and there's excitement in the air. I'll lay the bucket with the Pelicans.

Randy’s Pick New Orleans Pelicans -2.5

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The pick in this article is the opinion of the writer, not a PickDawgz site consensus.

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