Pelicans vs. 76ers Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Friday, Jan. 10

Zion Williamson is back, but the New Orleans Pelicans still have the worst record in the Western Conference heading into Friday’s matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Philly won’t have Joel Embiid in Friday’s matchup, but the Sixers are playing much better than they did at the start of the season, winning six of their last 10 games to move into the No. 11 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Tyrese Maxey has been on a tear scoring the ball, putting up 60 points over his last two games.

New Orleans will be shorthanded tonight, as Brandon Ingram, Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones are all out tonight. In addition to that, Dejounte Murray is listed as questionable.

Oddsmakers have set Philly as a slight favorite at home, but can bettors trust them to cover?

Here’s my prediction for the game, as well as a few players to consider betting in the prop market tonight.

Pelicans vs. 76ers Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

Pelicans +4 (-108)
76ers -4 (-112)

Moneyline

Pelicans: +150
76ers: -180

Total

220 (Over -112/Under -108)

Pelicans vs. 76ers How to Watch

Date: Friday, Jan. 10
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Wells Fargo Center
How to Watch (TV): NBC Sports Philadelphia, Bally Sports New Orleans
Pelicans record: 7-31
76ers record: 15-20

Pelicans vs. 76ers Injury Reports

Pelicans Injury Report

Brandon Ingram – out
Dejounte Murray – questionable
Herb Jones – out
Trey Murphy III – out

76ers Injury Report

Andre Drummond – out
Joel Embiid – out
Kyle Lowry – out
KJ Martin – out
Paul George – probable
Jared McCain – out

Pelicans vs. 76ers Best NBA Prop Bets

New Orleans Pelicans Best NBA Prop Bet

Zion Williamson OVER 21.5 Points (-120)

After a lengthy absence with a hamstring injury, Zion Williamson returned to action on Jan. 7, scoring 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting in nearly 28 minutes of action.

While Zion is likely to remain on a minutes restriction, he should get all the shots he can handle against the Philadelphia 76ers tonight. The Sixers rank just 15th in defensive rating, and the New Orleans Pelicans have already ruled out Brandon Ingram, Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III while listing Dejounte Murray as questionable.

Philadelphia 76ers Best NBA Prop Bet

Guerschon Yabusele UNDER 7.5 Rebounds (-130)

In 22 games without Joel Embiid this season, Yabusele is averaging 5.8 rebounds per game, picking up eight or more boards in just seven of those matchups.

While the Pelicans are a bottom five team in the NBA in rebounding percentage, Yabusele is putting up just 5.3 boards per game in the 2024-25 season. I’m not sold on him playing enough to clear this prop, especially with Zion back in action for New Orleans.

Pelicans vs. 76ers Prediction and Pick

There are two troubling trends when it comes to this game, as the Pelicans are just 3-10 against the spread as a road underdog while the Sixers are just 1-7 ATS as a home favorite.

Even with Zion back, it’s hard to get behind the Pelicans since they could still be down four rotation players (they’re at least down three) on Friday night.

Meanwhile, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George are expected to play, which is a great sign for Philly. When PG plays, the Sixers are 12-12 straight up, and when both he and Maxey play, they are 11-8.

Outside of those 19 games, the Sixers are just 4-12 overall, so it’s clear that having the two starts (obviously) raises the ceiling of this roster.

I’m willing to lay the points here, as New Orleans hasn’t done a great job when getting points and ranks in the bottom three in the NBA in offensive, defensive and net rating.

Pick: Sixers -4 (-112)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.