The 2022-23 season was a tumultuous one for the New Orleans Pelicans, who started the season winning 18 of their first 26 games before missing the playoffs. Health was a significant factor — Brandon Ingram appeared in just 45 games, while Zion Williamson played only 29.
Despite the disappointing finish, there’s reason to be optimistic about New Orleans ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. Williamson is supposedly ready to return, and a clean bill of health could be all this team needs to return to the postseason.
Here are the best New Orleans Pelicans prop bets to make ahead of the 2023-24 NBA season.
Pelicans Odds 2023
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Pelicans Prop Bets 2023
NBA lines are current as of Monday, Sept. 11, at 1 p.m. ET. To see updated Pelicans odds and lines, use the widget above.
Pelicans: Under 44.5 Wins (-130)
Caesars Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
New Orleans can still be a playoff team in 2023-24, but I’m not sure they’ll be an outright qualifier. The Western Conference has never looked tougher, and the Pelicans made few moves this offseason to bolster the strength of their roster.
Of course, if health works in their favor, the Pels will look brilliant for essentially running things back. This team is built to be a perennial playoff contender, and at full strength, they can be.
However, health rarely goes New Orleans’ way, and even if it does, I’m still not sold on this being a 45-win team. Denver, Golden State, and Phoenix all look like major powers, and as long as they live up to expectations, there could be a significant dropoff in the standings after them.
Just four Western Conference teams won 45-plus games in 2022-23. Back the Under with your NBA bet of the day.
Pelicans: Make Play-In Tournament (+140)
Caesars Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
A play-in spot seems like the most likely result for the Pelicans’ 2023-24 season. New Orleans has finished as the No. 9 seed in each of the past two seasons, and a team will advance to the NBA Play-In Tournament so long as they end up in the No. 7-10 range.
They may finish above the cutoff line, but in addition to the squads mentioned above, the Mavericks, Clippers, Lakers, Grizzlies, and Kings will all be vying for one of those spots as well. This range is where it becomes abundantly clear just how deep this conference is.
Given the strength of their competition and their usual injury concerns, this is the safest projection for the Pelicans.
Pelicans: Make NBA Playoffs (-140)
Caesars Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
There’s no shame in getting into the playoffs via the play-in tournament. The Miami Heat made a run to the 2023 NBA Finals by way of the play-in, and on the other side of the bracket, the Los Angeles Lakers reached the Western Conference Finals after earning the No. 7 seed.
Perhaps New Orleans could become the next in line to make a deep run via the play-in? It has the top-end talent to compete with the best in the West, and if the team gets healthy at the right time, I would trust the Pelicans over other low-tier playoff contenders.
At (-140), this is worth a one-unit wager.
Pelicans Betting in Louisiana
Pelicans fans are in luck, because sports betting is available in Louisiana. If you haven’t signed up, consider reading our Louisiana sports betting guide to learn about the top sportsbooks, sign-up bonuses, promotions, and more.
How to Bet on Pelicans Games 2023
How to Bet Pelicans Moneylines
Moneyline wagers are as basic as they come, which is something both new and experienced bettors can appreciate. To win this type of bet, all you have to do is correctly choose the winner of a game.
A team will either be the favorite or the underdog in a given matchup, and their odds of winning will vary accordingly. For example, the Pelicans would have much better odds of beating the Spurs than they would the Grizzlies, but the payout also wouldn’t be as large if you bet on them to defeat a lesser opponent.
Therefore, it’s important to find a balance when betting on your team’s moneyline odds. You would have to wager a much larger amount to earn a decent payout when your team is favored, while a small wager could be all you need to earn a few extra bucks when the Pels pull off the upset.
- 2022-23 Pelicans Moneyline Record: 42-40
How to Bet Pelicans Spreads
If the juice isn’t worth the squeeze on a Pelicans moneyline bet, opting for the spread can be a great way to mitigate the cost. With this type of wager, you’re betting on how well a team will perform against a point spread, which is essentially a projected margin of victory.
At a sportsbook, the Pelicans might be listed as a 4.5-point underdog on the road against the Grizzlies. In this case, New Orleans would have to either win the game outright or lose by less than 4.5 points to cover the spread.
Both teams generally get equal (-110) odds to cover the spread in a game, so this type of bet can be a great way to get value on a heavy moneyline favorite.
- 2022-23 Pelicans Against the Spread Record: 39-41-2
How to Bet Pelicans Over/Unders
Over/Unders are another popular way to bet on Pelicans games. Instead of focusing on winners and losers, this type of bet prioritizes points.
Before a game, the Over/Under will be set at a projected combined point total. Between the Pelicans and Grizzlies, that might be 214.5 points. Under these circumstances, the Over would hit if more than 214.5 total points are scored in the game, while the Under would hit otherwise.
Injury reports often play a key role in determining whether a game will go Over or Under the projected total. If a team’s games lean toward the Under, it’s usually because their offense didn’t live up to expectations on a given night.
- 2022-23 Pelicans Over/Under Record: 38-44
