The New Orleans Pelicans got some bad news after Zion Williamson put together a season-best 36-point showing on Monday night — he is now dealing with an ankle sprain. The Pelicans have listed him as questionable for Wednesday’s action. Let’s dive into the most recent Zion Williamson injury update for Wednesday to discuss his odds of playing and a player prop pick. If you’re hungry for more action, check out our NBA betting promos!
Zion Williamson Injury Update: Is New Orleans’ Star Playing Tonight?
Is Zion Williamson Playing for New Orleans Tonight?
Zion Williamson has been the subject of much media scrutiny over the last few days. Despite dropping 36 points on the Minnesota Timberwolves, the media narrative is stuck on his playing weight.
“Zion Williamson… went to the free throw line. Ladies and gentlemen, I saw a belly,” ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said on First Take on Saturday, adding “he looks fat.” Williamson’s former trainer took a shot at him on Instagram. Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley also chimed in — albeit more empathetically.
So is Zion Williamson playing tonight for the New Orleans Pelicans? The betting market doesn’t have a good read on his availability — the Pels are trading as a 7.5-point favorite, and Williamson’s point total sits at 24.5 where books are taking action on it.
One interesting note is that Brandon Ingram has a point total of 23.5 while Jonas Valanciunas is trading at 16.5. Ingram is averaging 22.2 points per game with Williamson while Valanciunas is averaging 13.5, so the potential for a Williamson absence is baked into those lines.
The Pelicans are also in a fine spot scheduling-wise. They last played on Monday and won’t play again until Friday. They’ll then play again on Sunday, giving their players a full day off between each game. That means the Pelicans aren’t just sitting Williamson in preparation for a back-to-back set or three games in four days.
Ultimately, it’s hard to get a read as to whether Williamson will play. The books are hedging their bets by juicing up the lines for his teammates — but not so much so that Williamson playing would make their unders locks. The spread of 7.5 also seems fair for a team that far outclasses the Wizards with or without Williamson.
Jonas Valanciunas Player Prop Pick
I see a strong player prop angle for Jonas Valanciunas here. Even if Williamson plays, he is likely to see fewer minutes than normal, which should free up more usage for the center. That means more points and rebounds. Importantly, on a per-game basis, the Wizards have allowed the third-most made shots in the restricted area (30.9) and the second-most points in the paint (59.9).
The Wizards’ struggles near the rim are most obvious against opposing centers, who have averaged an NBA-high 29 points and 17.7 rebounds per game against them. As a result, I recommend buying Jonas Valanciunas to go over the 28.5 on his points and rebounds market for -104 on FanDuel or buying him to record a double-double and the Pelicans to win for -108, also at FanDuel.
Jonas Valanciunas Player Prop Pick:
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