OVER the Play With Pelicans, Nets Primed for a Shootout

The Brooklyn Nets will one day see their big three on the court at the same time – but it won’t be Wednesday against the visiting New Orleans Pelicans. Just as forward Kevin Durant returns to the Nets (35-16 SU, 24-27 ATS) following a seven-week absence, James Harden has been lost to a hamstring injury and will miss Wednesday’s tilt with the Pelicans (22-28 SU, 23-27 ATS)

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

The Nets rode into this matchup as a whopping 10.5-point favorite; that line is still the prevailing one, though you can find the odd -10. The total opened at 231.5 but has settled in at 231 in most spots, with an occasional 230.5 popping up.

New Orleans News & Notes

The Pelicans have dealt with their own injury woes in recent weeks – at one point, they were without four of the five members of their starting lineup. Things are much better now, with Steven Adams, Lonzo Ball and Zion Williamson all back in action and forward Brandon Ingram on the mend; he’s considered questionable for Wednesday as he continues to nurse a foot injury.

Williamson’s return is the most notable for this particular game, as he looks to continue his frontcourt dominance against a Nets team that has struggled with opposing big men. The 2019 No. 1 overall pick is averaging career highs in scoring (26.5 ppg) and field-goal success rate (62.5 percent) and had 34 points in his return to action Tuesday night in a loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

Brooklyn News & Notes

The timing couldn’t be more bittersweet for the Nets, who see one superstar return to action while losing another indefinitely. Durant doesn’t have the passing or rebounding chops of his good friend Harden, but he’ll fill the basket like few others in the league, returning to the court with a 29.0-ppg scoring average that would rank fourth in the NBA if he had played enough games to qualify.

Look for Durant to lead the offensive charge against a Pelicans team that has fallen back to old (bad) habits on defense. Following a solid stretch of defensive efforts that contributed to a 4-1 SU stretch, New Orleans has dropped three of its last four games while surrendering an average of 119.8 points over that span. Brooklyn ranks second in the NBA with a 118.6 ppg scoring average.

Betting Pick: OVER 231 (-110)

The Nets should be able to capitalize on the Pelicans’ defensive backslide, while New Orleans has nearly the entire band back together and is one of the more prolific teams in the NBA when healthy.