The 2019-20 NBA season tipped off Tuesday, Oct. 22, with two games and both nationally televised. The first was to feature the NBA debut of mega-touted rookie Zion Williamson with the Pelicans, but Zion was out due to surgery. The second featured the battle of Los Angeles between the Lakers and Clippers. When the NBA restart tips off on July 30 from the World Wide of Sports Complex in Orlando, there are two games and both nationally televised. The first features Zion and the Pelicans, while the second is a battle of Los Angeles. Coincidence?
New Orleans enters the eight-game regular-season restart at 28-36, tied with Portland and Sacramento 3.5 games back of the West's final playoff spot held by Memphis (32-33). However, the Pelicans might be the best bet on the "to win Western Conference's eighth seed prop" at William Hill sportsbook priced at +350 on the moneyline – the Grizzlies are -140 favorites.
That's because the Pels have the easiest schedule of all the 22 games going to Orlando. New Orleans is the only club with a schedule where the opponents have cumulative winning percentage of below .500.
The opener is against Utah, which has lost one of its best players in Bojan Bogdanovic to season-ending surgery. On Aug. 1, the Pelicans face the excellent Clippers followed by Memphis (Aug. 3), Sacramento (Aug. 6), Washington (Aug. 7), San Antonio (Aug. 9), Sacramento again (Aug. 11) and Orlando (Aug. 13). Keep in mind that the Wizards lost one of their best players to an opt-out in Davis Bertans and the Spurs are without All-Star big man LaMarcus Aldridge due to surgery.
It's definitely not a coincidence that every Pelicans game but one (vs. Wizards) is on national TV because Zion is such a draw. The 19-year-old (turns 20 on July 6) was averaging 23.6 points and 6.8 rebounds in 19 games, shooting 58.9 percent from the field.
Don't forget that the Pelicans don't have to catch Memphis to get a shot at the playoffs but simply finish in ninth and within four games of the Grizzlies. Then there would be a mini-playoff for the eighth spot. New Orleans would have to beat Memphis twice, while the Grizzlies would need to win just once.
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