NBA 2022/23, on Thursday, 08.12.2022
In the duel between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Detroit Pistons, it can be assumed that the currently best defence in the NBA will celebrate a victory in style over the somewhat too tame “Bad Boys”.
The visitors are in their best line-up and therefore not to be underestimated, but on balance I still assume in my Pelicans Pistons tip that the Pels will celebrate their fifth success in a row in the shadow of the 2022 World Cup.
In the past NBA week, there was no team that caused more of a stir than the Pels. Now New Orleans is far from a candidate for the NBA Finals because of that, but in the meantime they have at least arrived in the top 10 of the NBA Power Rankings.
What makes me so confident that the Pelicans will master their upcoming task is primarily related to the experiences of the last few weeks, in which they were able to beat all the teams that were weaker in terms of squad.
The Southerners have won 9 of their last 11 NBA games and have only lost to two over-500 teams like the Grizzlies and Celtics over that period – certainly not an embarrassment.
The home side is the team of the moment in my eyes, especially since – as already mentioned – they win almost every time, although they were able to put their best possible starting five on the floor in only one of their last ten NBA games.
Eight of the Pels’ last nine victories were by a double-digit margin and were thus anything but razor-thin. But the data on the official NBA statistics page also make it clear that New Orleans is playing basketball at its best.
Over the last eleven NBA game days, the Pelicans have the fifth-best offence and the best defence in the entire league: opposing teams have only scored 104.8 points per 100 possessions.
Currently, the Pelicans are riding a wave of four straight wins, which is expected to be extended to five tonight before facing the Suns, who are the only team in the Western Conference with a better record.
New Orleans will probably beat the Pistons in the end, but I don’t expect too much of a drubbing. Especially since the Bad Boys do much better against teams from the Western Conference – which includes the Pels.
Detroit’s record against EC teams, for example, is (2-14), but their record against franchises from the WC is surprisingly even at (5-5). Furthermore, for once, the visitors have no injury absences tonight.
Bojan Bogdanovic and Marvin Bagley III are two important players for the Pistons who have been injured several times in recent weeks, but are now fully fit again, so I don’t expect a dismantling tonight.
Nevertheless, there is no denying that Detroit, with the most away defeats in the Eastern Conference (11), are a feast for the Pelicans, who in turn are spurred on to top performances by their own fans.
New Orleans have won 7 of their last 8 home games at the Smoothie King Center. The only defeat came against the Celtics, who are known to be the best team in the entire NBA.
Since about mid-2021, the Pelicans have taken a step up in quality, going from a mediocre franchise to one that I expect to be in the playoffs this year.
Incidentally, this increase in quality has also been noticeable in the last direct duels against the Bad Boys.
The Pels have won each of their last four encounters against the Pistons, but without ever being able to level them on the floor.
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Because while the World Cup in Qatar is slowly but surely coming to an end, the 2022/23 NBA season is just 25% over.
Conclusion: These Pels are extremely good right now – especially in terms of their own defensive effort, there is no other team nationwide that could be classified as “better” right now.
In addition, New Orleans is a power, especially at home, which can always be spurred on to top performances by their fans.
Nevertheless, I expect a commanding but by no means sprawling victory over the Bad Boys. After all, Detroit won yesterday against Miami and is more competitive than the German betting companies usually assume.
My Pelicans Pistons tip: The Pels win at a handicap of -7.5.
