Getting off to a good start will be important for the New Orleans Pelicans — and their fans at Louisiana sports betting sites — as they seek to build off last season’s 42-40 record.
It was the Pelicans’ first winning season since 2017-18 when the franchise last won a playoff series and advanced to the Western Conference semifinals. Coach Willie Green guided the team to a 36-46 record in his first season in 2021-22, which ended with a six-game loss to the Suns after it beat the Spurs and Clippers in the play-in tournament.
So while the first month of the NBA season may be short, it is important to get off to a hot start. BetLouisiana.com utilized ChampsorChumps.us to find the records of every NBA team in October since 2017-2018. No games were played in October during the 2020-21 NBA season.
NBA Team Records in October Since 2017-18
Louisiana betting apps list Boston and Milwaukee as the NBA title favorites at +400. The Pelicans are +5000.
Hot Start Helped Last Year
New Orleans became a tougher team in 2022-23 after its playoff appearance, and it showed during its October schedule. The Pelicans started 4-2 with wins at Brooklyn and Charlotte to open the season and included victories over Dallas at home and at the Los Angeles Clippers. One of the two losses came in overtime to Utah. Before that, New Orleans had been 9-17 in the other Octobers to be tied for 22nd on this chart.
New Orleans put together that 42-40 record despite getting just 29 games from former No. 1 pick Zion Williamson. A hamstring injury cut short the power forward’s season after he missed all of 2021-22 with a foot injury. Williamson, who’s just 23 years old, played in four of the first six games last year and the Pelicans were 3-1 in those games. For the season, New Orleans was 20-9 in games with Williamson, who averaged 26 points, seven rebounds and 4.6 assists in his shortened season.
A healthy Williamson teamed up with forward Brandon Ingram, who averaged a career-high 24.7 points last year, and veteran guard C.J. McCollum should make the Pelicans a team bound for the playoffs once again in 2023-24. New Orleans opens the season Oct. 25 at Memphis. BetMGM Louisiana has the Pelicans as a 1.5-point underdog with a +105 moneyline.
