Portland Trail Blazers Face Off Against New Orleans Pelicans in Crucial NBA Matchup

The Portland Trail Blazers and the New Orleans Pelicans are set to clash in an important NBA matchup on Monday, November 4, 2024, at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. Both teams are looking to bounce back from recent losses and improve their standings in the league.

The Trail Blazers, currently with a 2-5 record, are coming off a narrow 103-97 loss to the Phoenix Suns. Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant led the team with 20 points each, while Deni Avdija contributed 13 points. Despite a strong start, the Trail Blazers struggled in the third quarter, getting outscored 44-18, which ultimately led to their defeat.

The New Orleans Pelicans, with a 3-4 record, suffered a significant loss to the Atlanta Hawks, 126-111. Brandon Ingram was the top scorer for the Pelicans with 32 points, followed by Jordan Hawkins with 19 points and Jamal Cain and Brandon Boston Jr. each scoring 14 points. The Pelicans had a decent start but were overwhelmed by the Hawks’ strong second-half performance.

Both teams are dealing with significant injuries. The Trail Blazers will be without Shaedon Sharpe and Matisse Thybulle, while Robert Williams III is questionable. The Pelicans are missing Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III, CJ McCollum, and Herbert Jones, with Zion Williamson also listed as questionable.

The betting odds favor the Pelicans slightly, with a line of New Orleans Pelicans -2.5 and an over/under of 223.5 points. Analysts suggest that the total points might go under, given the recent trends of both teams’ games.

The historical matchup between the two teams has seen the Pelicans dominate, winning eight of the last ten head-to-head games. However, the Trail Blazers did secure a 125-103 win in their last encounter at the Moda Center.