The Pelicans no doubt will be heavy public side Wednesday in large part because of the NBA debut of much-ballyhooed top overall pick Zion Williamson. Ironically, it comes when they have finally learned how to win without him, as New Orleans has won 11 of its last 16. Leave it to Gregg Popovich and the (mostly) undermanned Spurs to spoil the party with a season-high tying third consecutive victory. They are on a 7-2 ATS run as an underdog.

We finally get a Pelicans squad at full strength Wednesday with the debut of rookie Zion Williamson. But the return of point guard Jrue Holiday is likely just as important. He was back in the lineup Monday in a win at Memphis and dropped 36 points. The Pelicans were already playing at a high level and have covered eight of their last nine. It will be a high-energy night as the Pelicans get the cover.

This is one of the sexy games on the slate with Zion Williamson expected to make his NBA debut. He will be on a minutes limit, but there certainly will be a lot of buzz in the arena. The Pelicans have won five of their last seven games and are 12-9 ATS at home. The Spurs are an unsightly 7-13 on the road this season, so I’ll take the Pelicans to cover this modest line.

Jrue Holiday is back, which may be more significant than Zion Williamson's much-anticipated debut. New Orleans is 7-0 ATS in its last seven games playing on one day's rest. While the Spurs are coming off two straight wins, the Pelicans are a sneaky 11-5 in their last 16. Lay it.