New Orleans whipped up on Toronto despite missing 10 free throws and having 27 turnovers. Brandon Ingram is a matchup problem. The Pelicans are a playoff team. Back them on the money line.

Merry Christmas to all! The NBA's five-game slate begins with this matchup, and the line has dropped from Heat -5.5 to -3.5. Why? Heat star Jimmy Butler is questionable with a sprained ankle. Were this a regular Friday game, he'd probably sit. But the stars play on Christmas because it's national exposure. That said, on the off chance Butler sits or is clearly less than 100 percent, the Pelicans getting this many points is good value as they could easily win outright.

While the Heat should play better defensively than they did versus the Magic, look for the Pelicans to at least keep this close. They went through a rigorous training camp under Stan Van Gundy and it paid off in their opener, when they stormed past Toronto in the second half. Steven Adams makes a huge difference with his screening, rebounding and defense. The Heat will struggle early this season after their long 2020 postseason, which ended just over two months ago. Take New Orleans.

The Pelicans will defend much better under Stan Van Gundy than they did last season, while the Heat should clamp down after their season-opening loss to Orlando. Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson won't be as efficient as they were Wednesday vs. Toronto, when they shot 17 for 28 combined. It will be tougher versus Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. Go Under in this early start.

This line is a bit surprising given how both teams fared in their season openers. The Pelicans pulled off an impressive win against the Raptors, while the Heat fell to the Magic. Losing Jrue Holiday is significant, but Eric Bledsoe is certainly a capable replacement. The Pelicans also upgraded at center by adding Steven Adams. This has the makings of a close battle, so give me the points.