Spurs vs. Pelicans Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Monday, Dec. 8

The Spurs are heavily favored on the road on Monday.

San Antonio Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox is a great prop target on Monday. / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The San Antonio Spurs are the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference, and they’ve won seven of their last 10 games heading into a winnable road matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night. 

New Orleans has lost six games in a row and nine of its last 10 heading into this matchup, posting a 2-11 record at home. The Pelicans are down some key players in Zion Williamson and Jordan Poole while Herb Jones is questionable. That puts them in a really tough spot since they don’t control their draft pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Meanwhile, the Spurs have ruled out Victor Wembanyama and listed Stephon Castle as questionable for this game. Wemby could potentially return on Wednesday in the NBA Cup Quarterfinals against the Los Angeles Lakers. 

Oddsmakers have still set the Spurs as massive favorites on the road in this game, as they've thrived without Wemby – going 7-3 this season – thanks to some strong play from veteran point guard De’Aaron Fox.

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, my favorite player prop and a prediction for this Western Conference matchup. 

Spurs vs. Pelicans Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Spurs -9.5 (-108)
• Pelicans +9.5 (-112)

Moneyline

• Spurs: -410
• Pelicans: +320

Total

• 236.5 (Over -108/Under -112)

Spurs vs. Pelicans How to Watch

• Date: Monday, Dec. 8
• Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: Smoothie King Center
• How to Watch (TV): FanDuel Sports Network (Local)
• Spurs record: 15-7
• Pelicans record: 3-21

Spurs vs. Pelicans Injury Reports

Spurs Injury Report

• Victor Wembanyama – out
• Stephon Castle – questionable
• Luke Kornet – questionable
• Riley Minix – out
• Harrison Ingram – out
• Jordan McLaughlin – out

Pelicans Injury Report

• Hunter Dickinson – out
• Herb Jones – questionable
• Zion Williamson – out
• Dejounte Murray – out
• Jordan Poole – out

Spurs vs. Pelicans Best NBA Prop Bets

Spurs Best NBA Prop Bet

• De’Aaron Fox OVER 23.5 Points (-126)

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why I’m betting on Fox in the prop market against the Pelicans: 

Since Wemby went down, Fox has really turned a corner as a scorer, averaging 26.8 points per game while shooting 48.9 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from beyond the arc.

The star guard is attempting 18.4 shots per game over that stretch, giving him a solid floor heading into a matchup with one of the worst defenses in the NBA. New Orleans ranks 28th in the league in both defensive rating and opponent points per game.

Fox has scored 25 or more points in nine of his 10 games with Wemby out of the lineup, and he scored 24 points on 14 shots against this New Orleans team in his 2025-26 season debut. 

The star guard should remain in a lead role until Wembanyama returns, and he feels undervalued with his prop set under 24 points on Monday night. 

Spurs vs. Pelicans Prediction and Pick

The Spurs have really struggled against the spread as road favorites this season, so I’m looking to the total in this game since the Pelicans are nearly impossible to bet on to cover given all of their struggles – and injuries – in the 2025-26 campaign.

The OVER has hit in the majority of both of these team’s games, as the Pels have done so in 14 of 24 matchups and the Spurs have in 12 of their 22 games. San Antonio ranks eighth in the NBA in offensive rating, even with Victor Wembanyama missing the last 10 games.

Meanwhile, the Pelicans are allowing 123.2 points per game this season, which gives us a terrific floor when it comes to this prop. The New Orleans defense is 28th in the league, and the offense isn’t much better (26th).

Still, I think the Pels can score enough to push this total OVER. The Spurs rank 10th in the league in opponent points per game, but that drops to 15th when they’re on the road. 

Rather than lay a major number with the short-handed Spurs, let’s root for points on Monday night. 

Pick: OVER 236.5 (-108 at DraftKings)

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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.

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