One of the most interesting matchups from tonight's NBA schedule is the duel between Golden State Warriors and New Orleans Pelicans, scheduled for Thursday, 02:00 AM BST, so I have prepared a few of my favourite Golden State Warriors vs New Orleans Pelicans predictions for you.
In addition to this, I'll offer a detailed Warriors vs Pelicans preview, including latest form, team news, and odds. So, let's take a closer look at this game and what we can expect from it.
Golden State Warriors vs New Orleans Pelicans predictions
Moneyline
Warriors to win
4/6
Total points
Over 219 total points
9/10
To record 6+ assists
Draymond Green
8/11
All Warriors vs Pelicans odds were taken from Paddy Power and are subject to change at any time.
Golden State Warriors to win
On the second night of back-to-back, Warriors and Pelicans will meet again. Last night, the Warriors were quite convincing, beating New Orleans by 18 points, despite playing without Curry and Wiggins. And while Curry is again out, Wiggins is listed as game-time decision, but in any case, I feel that the Warriors can repeat their performance from last night and notch another win.
This Warriors team is full of exciting young players and it is very deep. Meanwhile, the Pelicans have been trying to find their form at the start of the new season, which was evident from them struggling against one of the worst teams in the league, the Blazers, who they barely beat in their first duel before losing by 22 points in the second game.
All in all, the first of my Golden State Warriors vs New Orleans Pelicans predictions is for the home team to win on moneyline.
Over 219 total points
Despite missing their primary offensive weapon last night, the Warriors still scored 124 points. Going back to the start of last season, these two teams have met four times and each of those games went over 219 total points.
The Warriors play fast-paced basketball, they shoot a lot of threes, even without Curry in the lineup, and they are not a great defensive team. On the other hand, the Pelicans have some great scorers like McCollum, Ingram, and Williamson and another high-scoring duel between these teams is my next Warriors vs Pelicans prediction.
Draymond Green to record 6+ assists
While Green has been playing fewer minutes this season than before, he's still one of the teams primary creative forces. Last night against New Orleans he had seven assists, so with Curry out, I can see him doing that once again.
That being said, this was the first time this season that we saw Green dish out 6+ assists, but he did average six or more assists in every season except for his first two in the league. His experience is very valuable for this young team and I expect him to show it tonight as well.
Warriors vs Pelicans preview – teams news, injuries, and predicted lineups
After two wins in a row to start the season, the Warriors fell to the Clippers, but they've bounced back last night with a convincing win over the Pelicans. Overall, Golden State have shown a lot of potential at the start of the season, proving that they have a very talented roster and a good mix of youth and experience.
Last night the Warriors were without Curry and Wiggins. Steph Curry remains out for tonight as well, while Wiggins is a game-time decision. The Warriors will also be without De'Anthony Melton for at least a few more days.
The Warriors enter this match with a 3-1 record.
Warriors starting lineup: Podziemski, Hield, Jackson-Davies, Wiggins, Green
Just like the Warriors, the Pelicans have won their first two matches, beating the Bulls and the Blazers in the process. However, their win over the Blazers came in the last seconds of the game and the next night New Orleans fell to the same team, losing by more than 20 points, which was a clear sign that the Pelicans aren't in top form at the moment.
The Pelicans are also missing one of their key players, a new arrival Dejounte Murray, who will be out for around a month at least. Trey Murphy III is also sidelined with an injury, while Herbert Jones, who played last night, is listed as a game-time decision.
The Pelicans enter this match with a 2-2 record.
Pelicans starting lineup: McCollum, Jones, Ingram, Williamson, Theis