Philadelphia 76ers vs. New Orleans Pelicans Prediction: Injury Report, Starting 5s, Betting Odds & Picks - December 30

Two of the top teams in the league are set to clash in The Big Easy as the Philadelphia 76ers have taken the trip south to face the New Orleans Pelicans.

The 76ers had their eight-game winning streak snapped in DC on Tuesday and will look to begin another tonight. The loss on Tuesday came despite Joel Embiid scoring at least 35 points for a third consecutive game. He is averaging 37.0 points per game this December.

The Pelicans rallied against the Timberwolves on Wednesday to eke out a one-point win and push their active winning streak to four games. They are tied for the best record in the Western Conference despite battling injuries to key players all season.

This matchup is a must-see between two probable playoff squads. Let's see how they stack up ahead of their first meeting this season.

Philadelphia 76ers vs. New Orleans Pelicans Match Details

Fixture: Philadelphia 76ers @ New Orleans Pelicans

Date and Time: Friday, December 30, 8:30 p.m. EDT

Venue: Smoothie King Center

Philadelphia 76ers vs. New Orleans Pelicans Injury Report

The Pelicans have quite a few names on their injury report, while the 76ers injury report is pretty much clean.

The only player on Philly listed is Tyrese Maxey, who is probable.

New Orleans has Brandon Ingram, Herbert Jones, E.J. Liddell, and Larry Nance Jr., all listed with various injury designations.

Player	Team	Injury	Status
Tyrese Maxey	76ers	Foot	Probable
Brandon Ingram	Pelicans	Toe	Out
Herbert Jones	Pelicans	Reconditioning	Questionable
E.J. Liddell	Pelicans	Knee	Out
Larry Nance Jr.	Pelicans	Neck	Doubtful

Philadelphia 76ers vs. New Orleans Pelicans Betting Odds

Team	Spread	Total	Money Line
76ers	-1.0 (-105)	Over 229.0 (-110)	-110
Pelicans	+1.0 (-115)	Under 229.0 (-110)	-110

Odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

If you bet $5+ on any sports pre-game money line, you can get $150 if your bet wins at DraftKings Sportsbook

Philadelphia 76ers vs. New Orleans Pelicans Starting 5s

76ers - PG: James Harden, SG: Tyrese Maxey, SF: P.J. Tucker, PF: Tobias Harris, C: Joel Embiid

Pelicans: PG - CJ McCollum, SG- Trey Murphy III, SF - Naji Marshall, PF - Zion Williamson, C - Jonas Valanciunas

Philadelphia 76ers vs. New Orleans Pelicans Prediction

If Tyrese Maxey returns tonight as he's on pace to, it could be a massive boost to Philly's offense. Their defense is phenomenal, second in points allowed per game and defensive rating, but their offense has been a bit underwhelming even with their success this season.

The Pelicans are a great young team, but I think the 76ers have the pieces to slow down their explosive offense and score on the other end. I think Philadelphia walks away with the win, and I'm taking the one-point spread for the slightly better odds.