The New Orleans Pelicans (26-25 SU, 24-27 ATS) will try to put the brakes on an eight-game losing streak that threatens to bounce them from the playoff picture in the Western Conference when they visit the conference-leading Denver Nuggets (34-16, 25-24-1) in Tuesday NBA action.
The Pelicans opened their current three-game road trip with Sunday’s dismal 135-110 loss in Milwaukee and have now been defeated by double-digit margins on five occasions during their current 0-8 run. The Nuggets look to avoid losing three in a row for just the second time this season after closing out their recent three-game road trip with back-to-back losses in Milwaukee and Philadelphia, but enjoy a steady 15-1 SU run on their home court at Ball Arena.
Latest Betting Notes: Pelicans
The Pelicans reached a new low in Sunday’s crushing 135-110 loss in Milwaukee. In addition to marking the second time they have lost by at least 25 points during their swoon, Sunday’s loss also represents the team’s most lopsided defeat of the season.
Deadlocked with Denver atop the Western Conference standings as recently as December 30, the Pelicans have lost 12 of 15 games since and enter Tuesday’s action just 1.5 games up on the 11th-place Oklahoma City Thunder. The start of the Pelicans’ current woes have coincided with the loss of Zion Williamson to injury four weeks ago.
With Zion on the shelf, CJ McCollum has been shouldering the burden of leading the Pelicans attack. The veteran shooting guard has led the Pelicans in scoring in 10 of his past 13 outings but was forced to miss Sunday’s loss in Milwaukee due to a thumb injury.
Latest Betting Notes: Nuggets
The Nuggets have a funk of their own to snap out of as they aim for their second victory over the Pelicans in a week. Last week’s narrow 99-98 win in the Big Easy marks the Nuggets’ lone victory over their past four games, a run that started with a 101-99 loss to the Thunder that put the brakes on the team’s 15-0 run on home court.
The Nuggets have mustered just 99 points in three of their past four outings, which marks a huge step back after racking up an impressive 122.3 points per game during a preceding 9-0 SU run. A knee injury that has hobbled Jamal Murray has not helped matters.
Murray has been used sparingly of late and his status for Tuesday’s contest is questionable. Nikola Jokic has also missed three of the past five games due to injury, but he looked to be back to full strength while tallying 24 points in Saturday’s 126-119 loss to Philadelphia.
Pelicans Player Prop: CJ McCollum UNDER 22.5 Points
CJ McCollum has answered the call in Zion’s absence and has averaged 23 points per game over his past three outings. However, considering his recent uneven production on the road, where he has failed to reach 20 points in two of four outings, and his current battle to overcome a thumb injury that sidelined him over the weekend, the 31-year-old offers value as a -105 bet to tally UNDER 22.5 points on Tuesday night.
Nuggets Player Prop: Nikola Jokic to Record a Triple-Double
The Nuggets faithful cannot be blamed for wanting greater point production from Nikola Jokic, who has averaged just 23.8 points per game during the month of January after lighting up opponents for 29.2 points per game in December. However, Jokic has averaged a triple-double on the month. And considering the current woeful state of the Pelicans defense, the Joker is poised for a breakthrough performance on Tuesday and should not be ignored as a +120 bet to record his seventh triple-double in his past nine outings.
