Trent Reinsmith
- What: New Orleans Pelicans vs. Washington Wizards
- Date: Monday, January 9, 2023
- Location: Capital One Arena in Washington, DC
- Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: NBCSWA, BSNO, NBA League Pass
Week 13 of the 2023 NBA season is upon us and the first game of the week finds the New Orleans Pelicans on the road against the Washington Wizards. Both teams enter this matchup on two-game losing skids. The Wizards are currently the No. 11 team in the Eastern Conference with a record of 17-23, while the Pelicans are the No. 3 team in the NBA’s Western Conference with a record of 24-16.
While the Wizards have a losing record on the 2023 NBA season, the team has played well at home. The club is 10-7 at Capital One Arena, which is a far cry from the 7-16 record they have on the road. Meanwhile, the Pelicans have been one of the best home teams in the NBA this season. New Orleans is 17-5 when playing at Smoothie King Center, but they are 7-11 on the road.
Before diving into the betting breakdown for tonight’s matchup, January 9, 2023, between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Washington Wizards, check out our guide to betting on the 2023 NBA Finals and our tips for betting on the NBA.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Washington Wizards picks
| Teams |  |  |  |  |
| New Orleans Pelicans | +105 | +105 | +105 | +102 |
| Washington Wizards | -125 | -125 | -125 | -123 |
New Orleans Pelicans breakdown
The New Orleans Pelicans didn’t lose back-to-back games during the 2023 NBA season until the middle of December, when the team dropped four straight between December 13 and December 19. The club bounced back from that rough stretch by winning five straight, but things have once again taken a turn for the worse for the Pelicans, as they are 1-4 in their past five games. Three of those four losses have come on the road. The team’s most recent road win came on December 23, when they beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 128-125 in overtime.
The Pelicans got some very bad news on Tuesday when the team learned that Zion Williamson will miss at least three weeks because of a hamstring strain. Williamson joins Brandon Ingram, who has not played since November 25, on the injury list for the Pelicans. With Williamson and Ingram out of the mix, the team will need a lot of help from the other players on the squad, as Williamson and Ingram are the top two scorers on the club.
CJ McCollum, who is averaging a team-leading 35.3 minutes per game, is going to be the focal point of the Pelicans’ offense with the team’s top two players out of the mix. McCollum is averaging 20.4 points per game. While he did not play on Saturday, McCollum is expected to be on the court in Washington. He has scored more than 20 points in 10 of his last 14 outings and has been averaging 25.6 points, 6.1 assists and 4.6 rebounds in 36.5 minutes during that stretch.
Washington Wizards breakdown
It looks as if the Washington Wizards might be pulling out of a funk. Washington had a horrible run between November 23 and December 22. During that time, the club went 2-14 and had a run of 10 straight losses. Since then, the Wizards have gone 5-2, but they are in danger of going into another tailspin as they have lost their past two games, which were both on the road.
Like the Pelicans, the Wizards will miss an essential piece of their team in tonight’s game. The Wizards will be without their top scorer, Bradley Beal. because of a hamstring injury. Right now, Beal will be out of the lineup for a week or so. Beal is averaging 22.9 points per game on 33.6 minutes of play.
Washington will miss Beal. However, the team has two players who are scoring more than 20 points per game. Those players are Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma. Porzingis is averaging 21.9 points per game and leading the Wizards in rebounds with nine. As for Kuzma, he is putting up an average of 21.4 points per game on a team-high 35.3 minutes.
Our pick
The Wizards have played very well at home during the 2023 NBA season and while they will miss Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma have been good enough this season that they, along with the depth players on the club, should be able to keep the Wizards clicking. The same cannot be said of the New Orleans Pelicans. New Orleans can get by without Zion Williamson or Brandon Ingram, but having them both out will hurt the team a lot. The best bet in this game is to pick the Washington Wizards to beat the New Orleans Pelicans.
Pick: Washington Wizards to beat the New Orleans Pelicans.
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