The oddsmakers at sportsbooks have a difficult time pegging the Pelicans, who have incredible top-line talent but little depth.

Just how far can Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram take this team? GM David Griffin is playing the long game with this franchise, but if Williamson truly makes a Shaq-like jump in his third NBA season, it wouldn’t surprise us to see New Orleans threatening for a playoff spot in 2022. Their NBA futures are worth a long look.

For local fans, Louisiana sports betting will be live soon, meaning you’ll be able to jump on these bets as well.

Pelicans Win-Total Betting

The Line: 38.5 (-110) at FanDuel

We’re not feeling great the Pelicans because Zion Williamson broke his foot over the offseason, and it’s not a guarantee that he’ll be ready for the season opener. The Pelicans will be super cautious with the face of their franchise, making their NBA odds difficult to handicap. And if they start off slow, Williamson could be rested even more than usual down the stretch.

Along with a first year head coach in Willie Green, we’re worried about the Pels. Betting sites have this total a little too high for our liking.

The Bet: The safe play here is the Under at FanDuel.

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Pelicans Division Odds

The Line: +600 with BetMGM

The Southwest Division might be the most underwhelming in basketball, which technically leaves the door open for the Pelicans to stay healthy, mesh under Green and take advantage of potentially worst-case scenarios for both the Mavs (heavily reliant on Luka Doncic) and the Grizzlies (heavily reliant on Morant).

Betting apps have the Pels as considerable longshots, but we don’t hate these odds given how average the Southwest is.

The Bet: This is solid value given the rest of the conference. Bet on it at BetMGM Sportsbook.

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Pelicans Conference Odds

The Line: +4000 at WynnBET

The Pelicans were never able to get past the first round when they had budding superstar Anthony Davis. While he didn’t have the kind of supporting cast that Williamson has, there’s still little value here given how top-heavy the Western Conference is. The Pelicans are still a few years away as they build around Zion and Brandon Ingram.

The Bet: Avoid these odds at WynnBET, regardless of how good you believe Williamson is or can be.

Pelicans NBA Title Odds

The Line: +8000 with PointsBet Sportsbook

LeBron James needed nine NBA seasons to reach the mountaintop. Shaq needed eight seasons (and a second team) to earn a ring. We are so incredibly bullish on Zion Williamson, but he’s simply too young to lead a team to the promised land.

Check back in a few years, but for now the Pelicans would be happy with a postseason appearance. Zion will be a staple of NBA betting for the next two decades, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves here.

The Bet: Zion and the Pelicans have no shot at an NBA title. Avoid these NBA title odds at PointsBet Sportsbook.

Best Pelicans Player Prop Bets

The Line: Zion Williamson, NBA leading scorer, +1000 at DraftKings

In his first full NBA season, Williamson averaged 27.0 points on 61% shooting. No one in the history of this storied league had ever accomplished that, and he did it at 20 years old. We can’t wait to see what he has in store for Year 3, where he’ll certainly fill it up inside, draw fouls and hopefully expand his 3-point range. Shaquille O’Neal won his first scoring title in Year 3. Will Zion match him?

The Bet: There’s no ceiling for a player as talented as Zion. He could easily lead the league in scoring. If you’re looking for good value with your NBA picks, here’s a good place to start at DraftKings Sportsbook.

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