Pelicans vs Suns Odds & Picks

• The Pelicans visit the Suns on Friday night
• Phoenix is a 7-point home favorite
• Find the odds, preview, and picks below

The revamped New Orleans Pelicans will officially begin their second half on Friday night in the desert against the NBA-best Phoenix Suns, who are currently without Chris Paul. The tip-off is scheduled for 9pm ET at The Footprint Center.

NOLA was on a two-game losing skid before the All-Star break, falling to the Grizzlies and Mavericks. As for the Suns, they beat the Thunder in the first game of a back-to-back on Thursday night. Phoenix will be on a late flight home to prepare for this contest.

The Suns won the first meeting of the campaign against the Pels by a score of 123-110 in January, with Devin Booker balling out for 33 points.

Pelicans vs Suns Odds

Odds as of February 24th at FanDuel.

The Suns are a 7-point favorite here and have gone an impressive 26-5 at home this season.

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McCollum Showing Out For New Orleans

Although the Pelicans are currently out of the play-in picture with a 23-36 record (and -5000 odds to miss the NBA Playoffs), the addition of CJ McCollum looks to be seriously paying off. Since coming over from the Portland Trail Blazers at the trade deadline, the veteran guard is averaging 28.4 points, six rebounds, and 5.4 assists on a 42% three-point clip in five games. That’s efficiency at its finest.

CJ McCollum has played 5 games with the Pelicans.

He’s scored 30+ points in 3 of them.

He’s averaging 28/6/5 on 51/43% shooting in NOLA. pic.twitter.com/7qFM5Jwqj0

— StatMuse (@statmuse) February 18, 2022

However, the move to acquire McCollum hasn’t exactly translated into success quite yet as New Orleans continues to be without the injured Zion Williamson, who could need another foot injury.

Since CJ came over, the team is just 1-4. In their most recent loss to the Mavs before All-Star Weekend, McCollum erupted for a team-high 38 points, but it wasn’t enough to contest with Luka Doncic’s 48-piece. It was also the third time in four games the Pels allowed at least 120 points.

This next stretch ahead for NOLA won’t be easy, either. After visiting the Suns, Willie Green’s group faces the Lakers, Kings, Jazz, Nuggets, and Grizzlies. Needless to say, their defensive effort is going to have to be a lot better.

Suns Betting Outlook

No CP3, no problem. The Suns were back to their dominant ways on Thursday in OKC, cruising to a big 124-104 victory. That pushed their winning streak to eight games and took them to 48-10 on the season.

While it was just the first game without their veteran guard, Devin Booker and Co. stepped up in a big way, especially from a playmaking standpoint.

Book led the way with a team-high 25 points and 12 assists, with six players in total finishing in double-figures. But perhaps the most important part was how many different pieces took it upon themselves to facilitate. Phoenix notched 32 dimes as a group, with Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, Mikal Bridges, and Aaron Holiday all dishing out at least four assists apiece.

ALWAYS FIND THAT CUTTING MIKAL! pic.twitter.com/cnuSmxkQg6

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) February 25, 2022

The Suns held a big lead in the first quarter but the Thunder clawed their way back into it, with the contest staying close until the final period when Monty Williams’ group pulled away for good.

Their well-rounded offense shot 54% overall and a sharp 90% from the charity stripe as well. This win was the prime example of why Phoenix is considered a legitimate title contender in the 2022 NBA Championship odds. Even with Paul on the shelf, the entire roster is capable of rising to the occasion.

Pelicans vs Suns Prediction

The Suns are frankly unstoppable right now. While they’ve only covered the spread in two of their last four games, Phoenix will be riding a high after such a dominant victory in Oklahoma City. The Pels meanwhile, are struggling and boast a 10-19 record on the road. This is a no-brainer.

Pick: Suns -7 (-110)