Pelicans vs Knicks Pick, Preview & Betting Odds For Saturday, February 25th

Check out our free Pelicans vs Knicks pick and preview for this NBA game in New York. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this NBA matchup.

Pelicans vs Knicks NBA Pick & Preview

Sport: NBA
Teams: New Orleans Pelicans at New York Knicks
Where: New York at Madison Square Garden
Date: Saturday, February 25th
Betting Odds NY -3.5, NO +131 | NY -157 O/U 225.5

So far, the Pelicans have put together an overall record of 30-30, while going 28-32-0 vs the spread. New Orleans will take the court having lost 2 straight games. The team has an average scoring margin of -11.5 in these matchups.

New Orleans is trying to bounce back from a 115-110 loss to the Raptors. Going into this game, the team was 4 point underdogs on the spread, giving them an ATS loss. New Orleans was not able to turn things around in the 2nd half, as they trailed the Raptors by 5 going into halftime. Leading the team in scoring was Brandon Ingram, as he contributed 36 points while hitting 44.4% of his shots.

The Knicks come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 34-27. So far, the team has gone 33-27-1 against the spread. New York comes into the game having rattled off 4 straight wins. In these victories, the team has an average scoring margin of 12.75 points per game

New York is going for yet another win, as they previously defeated the Wizards at home. With the 115-109 victory, they also covered the spread as 1 point underdogs. Although New York trailed the Wizards going into halftime, by the end of the 3rd quarter they had taken the lead. In the win, Julius Randle led the team in scoring with 46 points on a field goal percentage of 55.2%.

Head To Head Recap & Stats

Going back to last season, the Pelicans and Knicks split their season series, with each team picking up a win on the road. The average point total across the two games was 232.5 points. Similar to their season-long average, the Pelicans averaged 109.5 points per game vs the Knicks. Just like the Pelicans, the Knicks maintained their usual level of scoring in head-to-head matchups, averaging 107.0 points per game vs New Orleans. The level of competition has been tight in the 5 most recent games between Pelicans and Knicks with just 0 points per game separating the teams. New Orleans has the ATS edge in this span at 3-2. Over the course of these games, they averaged 224 points per game, leading a 4-1 over-under record.

Odds & Free Betting Analysis For This NBA Game

The Pelicans come into today’s game as the 14th ranked scoring offense at 114.8 points per game. Coming into today’s game, the Pelicans will be looking to improve their 3-point shooting numbers, as they are averaging just 10.8 made 3’s per game. If the New Orleans offense is going to turn things around, not only do they need to improve their outside shooting but they must do a better job protecting the ball. Currently, they are averaging 14.3 turnovers per game.

On defense, the Pelicans will look for some improved play, as they are currently the 13th ranked unit in points allowed per game.

This season, the Pelicans offense has primarily worked through CJ McCollum and Jonas Valanciunas who are 1st and 2nd on the team in scoring. In his 53 games, McCollum is 45th in the NBA at 21.2 points per game. So far, him and Valanciunas have accounted for 32% of the team’s field goal attempts while combining to average 35.6 points per contest. In addition to sitting 2nd on the team in scoring, Jonas Valanciunas is grabbing 9.8 rebounds for New Orleans to go along with 1.7 assists.

Through 61 games, the Knicks are averaging 114.6 points per contest, placing them 15th in the NBA. Coming into today’s game, the Knicks will be looking to improve their 3-point shooting numbers, as they are averaging just 12.1 made 3’s per game. If the New York offense is going to improve, they must continue to do a good job avoiding turnovers. Currently, the unit is 3rd in fewest turnovers per game.

Against the Pelicans, the Knicks will look to continue their strong defensive play. For the year, they are the 6th ranked unit at 106.6 points per game.

Power-Foward Julius Randle currently leads the Knicks at 25.1 points per game. For the season, he is 30th in the NBA in usage rate and has taken 20.5% of the team’s field goal attempts. In addition to his scoring, Randle is averaging 10.6 boards and 4.1 assists per contest. In today’s game, he is facing off against the NBA’s 5th ranked defense at defending power-fowards. Jalen Brunson enters the game sitting second on the team in scoring. Through 57 games, he is averaging 23.8 and is 53rd in the league in player efficiency rating.