The Golden State Warriors (11-3) visit the New Orleans Pelicans (4-12) in an NBA Cup matchup on Friday at 7:30 PM EST. The Warriors enter as 9.5-point road favorites with a total of 222.5 points.

The Warriors have dominated this matchup historically, winning 48 of 76 meetings, including two double-digit victories over the Pelicans earlier this season - both without Stephen Curry. The two-time MVP is probable to return Friday despite a minor knee issue.

The Pelicans are severely undermanned with multiple key players injured:

• Zion Williamson (hamstring)
• Brandon Ingram
• CJ McCollum
• Dejounte Murray

Golden State brings significant advantages:

• 5th in NBA scoring defense (109.1 PPG)
• League leaders in assists (30.5)
• 3rd in scoring (119.6 PPG)

Betting trends show heavy Warriors support:

• 84% of spread bets on Golden State
• 90% of handle backing Warriors
• Line moved from -9 to -9.5

Prediction: Warriors -9.5 (-120)

• Golden State's superior depth and experience
• Pelicans' depleted roster
• Warriors' strong defensive metrics
• Lean toward under 222.5 points due to New Orleans' offensive limitations

The combination of Curry's return and the Pelicans' injury situation makes Golden State the clear choice to cover the spread and hand New Orleans their fourth consecutive loss.

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