The Toronto Raptors and New Orleans Pelicans, who have a combined eight wins on the season, meet tonight at Smoothie King Center.
The pregame narrative: Toronto has mastered the competitive loss while New Orleans has been riddled with injuries. I expect Scottie Barnes to do damage from deep and Jakob Poeltl to clean up on the glass.
Check out my Raptors vs. Pelicans prop picks for Nov. 27.
Raptors vs. Pelicans prop picks
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Best Bet: Poeltl over 11.5 rebounds (-106)
If the Raptors are truly looking to tank, trading Poeltl (again) might be a smart move.
The veteran centre is playing the best basketball of his career, posting personal bests in points (16.2), rebounds (12.2) and offensive rebounds (4.5).
He’s had 11-plus rebounds in six straight games, clearing this line five times.
Poeltl secured 19 boards two games ago against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who give up the fourth-fewest rebounds per game to centres (according to Fantasy Pros).
Now he gets a juicy matchup against a Zion Williamson-less Pelicans team.
New Orleans gives up the eighth-most boards per game to centres and sits 19th in rebounding rate.
Not many centres have cleared this mark against the Pels lately but they also haven’t gotten a guy like Poeltl, who sits behind only Nikola Jokic, Domantas Sabonis, Karl-Anthony Towns and Ivica Zubac in rebounding.
Key stat: Poeltl is averaging 14.5 rebounds in his last six games.
Quick pick
Barnes over 1.5 threes (+125): Barnes is back in the lineup and thriving after missing a handful of games with a fractured orbital bone.
The franchise power forward played in three games and has seen an uptick in minutes, points, field-goal attempts, and 3-point attempts in each contest:
- Nov. 21 vs. Timberwolves: 27 minutes, 17 points, 5-of-11 shooting (2-of-5 from deep)
- Nov. 24 vs. Cavaliers: 34 minutes, 18 points, 5-of-14 shooting (1-of-6 from deep)
- Nov. 25 vs. Pistons: 37 minutes, 31 points, 12-of-26 shooting (3-of-8 from deep)
Backing Barnes to clear his 21.5 point total seems playable but I want in on his 3-point line at plus money.
The Pelicans allow opponents to shoot 37.6% from beyond the arc, which is the fourth-highest mark in basketball.
They’re also giving the third-most 3s per game to small forwards.
Picks made at 3:01 p.m. ET 11/27/2024.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.