The New Orleans Pelicans (6-22) lost 13 games in a row, and the Minnesota Timberwolves (10-15) are stuck in the middle of a seven-game skid. You can also keep fading the San Antonio Spurs (10-16), who continue to be the worst team in the NBA with a 7-18-1 record against the spread.
The Timberwolves host the Pelicans tonight, so one of those teams will finally end their losing streak with a much needed slump-buster.
The Warriors, playing without Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, are 2-11 over their last 13 games, including a devastating two-point lost to the lowly Knicks last week.
Bad NBA Teams
Atlanta Hawks 0-5
Minnesota Timberwolves 0-7
New Orleans Pelicans 0-13
Cleveland Cavs 1-9
Golden State Warriors 2-8
The Atlanta Hawks (6-22) lost a recent battle of the Eastern Conference basement dwellers when the Knicks blew them out, 143-120. The Knicks (7-21) recently snapped a 10-game losing streak. They’ve gone 3-1 under interim coach Mike Miller after they fired David Fizdale.
The Cleveland Cavs (6-21) are ready to punt on their season and revert back to tank mode. The front office is currently shopping Kevin Love. There have been loud whispers in Los Angeles that LeBron James would love for Love to join the Lakers for a title run.
Slump-buster Time
The Timberwolves dropped 11 out of their last 14 games. Their current skid reached seven games with a 124-117 loss against the LA Clippers.
When two teams bogged down in a losing streak face each other, one of those bad teams will finally snap the bad luck. Thankfully, there are no ties in the NBA (like in the NFL or soccer), so someone will be declared a winner when the Pelicans and Timberwolves tip off tonight in Minneapolis. In case you’re a sadist, the Timberwolves are a 7-point favorite over the Pelicans.
Brandon Ingram leads the Pelicans with 24.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. The Pelicans are desperate for Zion Williamson to play his first game in the NBA. Zion injured his knee in preseason and missed the first two months of the season while recovering from knee surgery. Zion says he’s up and about, but he’s yet to return to full-contact practice.
The Pelicans hoped he’d be ready to roll before Christmas. At this point, Zion might not return until after the New Year. Without Zion, the Pelicans struggled to piece together six wins. If the Golden State Warriors (5-23) weren’t devastated by injuries, the Pelicans would be the worst team in the NBA.
Fade the Spurs and T-Wolves
The Spurs finally ended the worst-losing streak of Gregg Popovich’s career, but they’re still struggling to keep their heads above water. They’re 5-5 over their last 10 games. However, the Spurs are still the worst in the NBA against the spread at 7-18-1.
The Timberwolves started the season 4-1 after a hot start from Karl-Anthony Towns (26.5 points per game). They were 7-4 after their first 11 games, including a tough 2-point loss in overtime against the Denver Nuggets. Since then, the T-Wolves went 3-11.
“Yeah, we had success early, in the beginning,” said Towns. “But we were catching teams slipping. They weren’t taking us serious. And to make it a double down, it’s early in the season.”
Worst NBA Teams ATS
San Antonio Spurs 7-18-1
Minnesota Timberwolves 9-18-1
Cleveland Cavs 10-17-1
New Orleans Pelicans 8-17-1
Utah Jazz 10-17
Atlanta Hawks 12-16
The high-flying T-Wolves have the sixth-best scoring offense in the NBA, averaging 114.7 points per game, but their Swiss cheese defense has become a lingering problem. They allow 118.1 points per game, which is the fourth-worst defense in the NBA. They allowed 121 or more points in their last six games.
The Cleveland Cavs struggle to generate easy buckets. The Cavs average 103.7 points per game, which is the third-worst offense in the NBA.
After a feel-good 4-5 start, the Cavs went 2-16 over their last 18 games. They had losing streaks of six games and eight games in that span. Nine of their 21 losses have been 19-point blowouts or worse. The Cavs suffered a humiliating 141-94 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers last week. They were also destroyed by Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks in a 143-101 shellacking.
