The New Orleans Pelicans are in a state of purgatory, but they will finally have some clarity by the time they hit the court to face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. There are rumors swirling about the future of superstar center Anthony Davis, who has requested a trade out of town.
There is plenty of speculation but it is unclear if he will still be with the team following the trade deadline on Thursday. The Pelicans will host the Timberwolves but it is hard to get a gauge on what the spread will be until it’s clear who will be on the court for New Orleans.
The T-Wolves traded away their disgruntled star earlier this season when Jimmy Butler headed to Philadelphia, and they are hoping to get hot down the stretch and sneak into the playoffs. Minnesota does not have a big margin for error so this is a crucial game in NBA gambling.
This NBA basketball game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and New Orleans Pelicans will be held at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana at 9:30 p.m. ET on Friday, February 8th, 2019. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.
We'll have NBA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2019 NBA season.
Odds Analysis
The Timberwolves have a record of 25-27 on the season. They are three games out of the final playoff seed in the Western Conference but would have to hurdle several teams to secure it. Minnesota has hovered around .500 for much of the season and will need to find something the rest of the way to make a postseason push. The Timberwolves are only 8-17 on the road this year but this is a winnable game if the Pelicans don’t have Davis.
The Pelicans are 23-31 on the year. They have gone 15-10 at home on the year but have gradually fallen to the bottom of the West. The continued losing sowed Davis’ discontent and now he has no plans to re-sign with the team. New Orleans seems destined to miss the playoffs this year.
Player To Watch
Everything is centering on Davis. He has missed games of late with a finger injury but will likely be healthy enough for this matchup. New Orleans does not plan on playing Davis before the deadline in case he is traded, but the All-Star could conceivably return for this one if he is still on the team.
There are a lot of moving parts in this one. If Davis is dealt, it’s possible the team’s returning haul will suit up for this matchup. Davis is one of the best players in the NBA, and his availability will be a huge factor in how the oddsmakers peg this game.
Keep an eye on the trading deadline to see what goes down.
Key Stat
6. That’s the number of losses for the Pelicans in their past seven games as the Davis drama and his absence have both hurt the team. New Orleans lost three in a row before finally knocking off the Rockets on the road during this stretch.
The Pelicans have since lost three consecutive games, falling to the Nuggets, Spurs and Pacers. New Orleans will be glad to be done with all of the speculation when Friday comes around.
Free NBA ATS Picks
This game is hard to call until it is known what kind of personnel the Pelicans will roll out. There is a feeling that Davis won’t be traded before the deadline as the Lakers seem to be pulling back. The belief here is that he plays, which should help lift New Orleans to the win. The spread will be an interesting thing to watch in NBA odds.
NBA ATS Pick: New Orleans Pelicans 110, Minnesota Timberwolves 107
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