The New Orleans Pelicans and Charlotte Hornets have high hopes this season, but neither has shown much life offensively so far. The Pelicans are coming off consecutive losses to Dallas and Memphis, while Charlotte has lost to the Knicks as well as the Grizzlies. The total for tonight's game looks a little high all things considered.


Here are my keys to the game:

1. Defense - Both teams have played solid defensively, with the Hornets ranking 3rd in the NBA allowing an average of just 91 points per game, and New Orleans rank 5th allowing an average of 95.3 points per game.

2. Three-Point Shooting - New Orleans shot just 4-of-24 from beyond the arc in the loss to Memphis. Only Denver and Detroit have a lower three-point shooting percentage than the Pelicans.

3. X-Factor - The Pelicans have seen the total go under in four of their last five home games.
Selection: This is a play on the Hornets@Pelicans to go UNDER the total (10*)