Wizards vs. Pelicans Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for January 9 (Defense Takes Back Seat at Capital One Arena)

Wizards vs. Pelicans Game Info

• Date: Monday, January 9, 2023
• Time: 7:00 PM ET
• Venue: Capital One Arena -- Washington D.C.
• Coverage: NBCS-DC and BSNO

The 2022-23 NBA season continues on Monday with six more games, including a battle between the New Orleans Pelicans and Washington Wizards. The Pelicans rank third in the Western Conference with a 24-16 record, while the Wizards check in 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 17-23 record.

New Orleans enters as a loser in four of its last five games after falling short in a 127-117 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday. Meanwhile, Washington has won five of its last seven games, but couldn't keep up in a 127-110 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday. Which team will win tonight?

Wizards vs. Pelicans Odds & Spread

All NBA betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.

Wizards vs Pelicans Betting Information

Favorite	Spread	Favorite Spread Odds	Underdog Spread Odds	Total	Over Total Odds	Under Total Odds	Favorite Moneyline	Underdog Moneyline
Wizards	-1.5	-	-	228.5	-110	-110	-124	106

• All NBA betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: WAS: (-126) | NO: (+108)
• Spread: WAS: -1.5 (-110) | NO: +1.5 (-110)
• Total: 228.5 -- Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)

The Wizards enter this contest as slight home favorites on moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 7 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 228.5 points, which is below average when compared to Monday's projected totals.

Wizards vs. Pelicans Betting Trends

• The Wizards have covered the spread 16 times this season (16-20-1).
• This season, the Pelicans have an ATS record of 5-8 in their 13 games as an underdog of 1.5 points or more.
• This season, Wizards games have hit the over 16 times out of 38 chances.
• The Pelicans have eclipsed the over/under 55.3% of the time this season (21 of 38 games with a set point total).
• Washington has covered the spread in a lower percentage of its home games than away games. It has covered six times in 15 games when playing at home, and it has covered 10 times in 22 games when playing on the road.
• This year, New Orleans is 12-9-0 at home against the spread (.571 winning percentage). Away, it is 7-10-0 ATS (.412).

Wizards vs. Pelicans Prediction & Pick

The New Orleans Pelicans cannot shake the injury bug this season as Zion Williamson (hamstring) and Brandon Ingram (toe) remain out on Monday night. The good news is that CJ McCollum will return to the starting lineup after sitting out on Saturday. He is averaging a reliable 20.4 points per contest.

The Pelicans rank fourth in the NBA in terms of points per game (117.1) and now get to face a Wizards defense that ranks 18th in defensive efficiency at home this season. Washington also ranks 22nd in opponent defensive rebounding percentage (78.0%), meaning it is lacking second-chance scoring.

I'm going to fade a Washington squad that is 3-7 straight up in its last 10 games against a Western Conference foe.

Final Score Prediction: Wizards: 115 | Pelicans: 120

Wizards vs. Pelicans Best Bet

It's surprising to see this total rank as one of the lowest on Monday's NBA slate. The total has hit the over in nine of New Orleans' last 13 games as well as in five of Washington's last six home games. The over has also cashed in 10 of New Orleans' last 15 games against an Eastern Conference opponent.

Washington has not been able to run up the score as much as the Pelicans, but they still rank seventh in shooting percentage (48.2%) and 11th in points in the paint per game (52.1). New Orleans plays at the sixth-fastest pace in the NBA, too, so look for the Pelicans to speed this game up. Back the over.

Bet: Over 228.5 Points (-110)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.