The New Orleans Pelicans are a 10-point underdog as they travel to take on the defending champion Golden State Warriors in the NBA season opener for both teams. (Tuesday, 10:30 ET on TNT.) The over/under is somewhere between 213 and 214 points, depending on the bookmaker. That straight spread is more points than the Pelicans will be giving in most games this year — in fact the Pelicans may not be 10 point underdogs again all season. But Golden State is playing its first game as champions before its home crowd and it’s going to be a very difficult environment for the visitors.
If Anthony Davis and the very talented Pelicans outperform on offense, the over/under could easily be surpassed. Especially if the Pelicans are going to run, as promised, and Davis is committed to adding the 3-pointer to his enormously broad repertoire. The over/under could also look small if Golden State’s offensive gets cooking. With the Splash Brothers-Steph Curry-Klay Thompson backcourt Golden State is capable of scoring bountiful points in a hurry. The Pelicans are coached by former Golden State assistant Alvin Gentry, who knows some Warriors secrets. But can he stop them?
