Pelicans Down to 1.5-Point Favorites vs Jazz in Restart Opener After Zion Leaves Bubble for Family Emergency; Playoff Odds Still +250

• Zion Williamson has left the NBA’s bubble in Orlando to deal with an urgent family issue
• The New Orleans Pelicans remain favorites to win the bubble opener against the Utah Jazz as 1.5-point favorites
• See the Pelicans playoff odds and a breakdown of Zion’s situation within the story below

Zion Williamson has left the NBA’s bubble because of an urgent family matter on Thursday afternoon. As a result, the New Orleans Pelicans have dropped from 2.5-point favorites to 1.5-point favorites in their opening night matchup with the Utah Jazz on July 30th.

Williamson will have to quarantine upon his return. Per the NBA’s protocol for such a situation, the quarantine period will only be four days if he has had seven days of negative test results prior to returning. If not, Zion would face a 10-day quarantine. With the Pelicans’ first game tipping off in exactly two weeks, this news has created uncertainty for bettors.

The Pels are chasing the Memphis Grizzlies for the eight seed in the Western Conference. A good start against the Jazz is crucial given the deficit they need to make up and the other teams looking to force a play-in tournament.

Utah Jazz vs New Orleans Pelicans Odds (July 30th)

Odds taken Jul. 16.

Pels Meet Utah in Opening Game

The return of Zion Williamson changed everything for the Pels. They quickly became a team to look out for in the 2020 NBA Playoff odds. New Orleans were, thanks to a combination of injuries and chemistry issues, at 6-22 in the early stages of the season.

Hopes of a postseason berth seemed a long way off at that stage, but they started to pick up wins before Zion’s debut and built on that momentum when the former Duke star took to the court.

At this point, it’s unclear whether the first overall pick will be on the hardwood for the bubble opener. It was scheduled as such in large part because of Williamson. Without him, the game not only becomes less interesting for neutrals, it obviously alters how it is looked at from a betting perspective.

Utah are an interesting opponent. Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert’s relationship has been the center of attention since the NBA season was suspended a few months ago, and with Bojan Bogdanovic injured, they are likely heading for a first-round exit once the playoffs get under way. Quin Snyder has big decisions to make with his rotation.

January Matchup

These two teams last met in mid-January. There was no Zion, Mitchell scored 46 and Bogdanovic played 40 minutes. The Pels, riding an epic 49-point outing from Brandon Ingram, won in overtime.

If Williamson is healthy, he will matchup with Gobert in the paint on the offensive end. The way the Pelicans push the pace (and they did so even before Zion’s debut) is a challenge for Utah, and particularly Gobert. New Orleans rank second in pace this season, the Jazz are much more deliberate, ranking 24th. It’s a contrast of styles, if the Pelicans can get out in transition, they will be able to trouble the Jazz.

Defense had been an issue for New Orleans this year, but they were trending the right direction. Their defensive rating was eighth-best in the NBA in their last 10 games before the hiatus. Getting stops and turnovers allows them to control the speed of the game and potentially get opportunities to attack the basket before Gobert can get back.

Jrue Holiday and Lonzo Ball might be the best defensive backcourt in the league – they can lead a strong defensive effort.

There’s been little movement in the spread because of the uncertainty with Williamson. New Orleans are the clear pick if he’s available, but even without him there’s value in backing the Pels.

Pick: New Orleans Pelicans ML (-116)

New Orleans Pelicans 2020 Playoff odds

Playoff Credentials

New Orleans has the easiest remaining schedule. The Grizzlies have one of the hardest. Forcing a play-in might sound straight forward, but the Portland Trail Blazers should not be overlooked.

The Blazers have Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins back. Dame Lillard will be a man on a mission, and as he showed earlier this year, he can carry the team almost single-handedly when he gets on a hot streak.

New Orleans need to be at their pre-suspension best to mount a challenge for a playoff spot, and that means having Zion at his most dominant. Only time will tell how much this will impact his preparation.

The Pelicans will almost certainly need a play-in to make the playoffs. Winning back-to-back games against this Memphis team is a huge ask.

The play-in will be a lot of fun, and New Orleans have a solid chance of making it that far, but given the threat posed by Portland and the challenge of winning consecutive games against the Grizz, it is still hard to justify backing New Orleans to make the playoffs. The uncertainty over Zion is too great at the moment to make a clear-cut decision either way, particularly with the odds as they stand.