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The Los Angeles Clippers and the New Orleans Pelicans put their respective four-game winning streaks on the line against each other on Friday night. Below is our NBA odds series as ClutchPoints hands out a Clippers-Pelicans prediction and pick. ClutchPoints will also let you know how to watch the game.
Los Angeles is coming off a 131-122 victory over a Kevin Durant-less Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night as it moves to 12-2 since December. The Clippers were on fire, as they knocked down 18 of their 34 attempts from beyond the arc. Overall, they shot 55.3 percent from the field. Paul George led all Clippers with 33 points and five three-pointers, while Kawhi Leonard had an all-around ball game with 30 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks. James Harden recorded a double-double with 21 points and 11 assists.
Meanwhile, New Orleans beat the No. 1 team in the Western Conference, the Minnesota Timberwolves, 117-106 thanks to a 27-point performance from Zion Williamson. The Pelicans shot 55.6 percent from the field and drained 12-of-26 from beyond the arc. CJ McCollum added 24 points and four three-pointers for New Orleans, while Brandon Ingram and Herb Jones put up 19 and 16 points, respectively to help give the Pelicans their fourth straight victory.
Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Clippers-Pelicans Odds
Los Angeles Clippers: +1 (-108)
New Orleans Pelicans: -1 (-112)
Over: 229.5 (-110)
Under: 229.5 (-110)
How To Watch Clippers vs. Pelicans
Time: 8:00 PM ET/ 5:00 PM PT
TV: Bally Sports New Orleans, Bally Sports SoCal
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
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Why The Clippers Could Cover The Spread
The Clippers are 17-16 against the spread and have covered the spread in seven of their 15 games away from Crypto.com Arena. On the over/under, Los Angeles has gone just 13-19, including 8-7 on the road.
The Clippers have been on a roll over the past month. They have the best record in the NBA since December, also while boasting the No. 3 offensive rating and No. 6 net rating in the league.
Each of their stars seems to have settled into their roles as well. Kawhi Leonard, in particular, has been on a tear over his last 13 appearances. Over this stretch, Leonard is averaging 28.8 points while shooting a scorching 60.9 percent from the field, including 53.1 percent from the field, and 91.0 percent from the free-throw line. He is also turning in 6.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.5 steals.
Paul George has also been clicking on all cylinders over the past month. He has scored 20 or more points in all but one of his appearances since December. Over this stretch, PG13 has averaged 22.9 points while shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 44.2 percent from long distance.
James Harden has also settled into his role quite well and is thriving once again as their primary distributor. Since December, The Beard is averaging 19.8 points and 9.7 assists.
Why The Pelicans Could Cover The Spread
This could obviously swing in either direction with both teams entering with respective four-game winning streaks. Nonetheless, the Pelicans have the advantage because of home court, where they have gone 12-7 against the spread this season. Overall, they are 20-14 on the ATS. Pelicans games have also eclipsed the point total in 17 of their 35 games so far, including nine of 19 at Smoothie King Center.
Like the Clippers, the Pelicans have also been playing great basketball over the past month. Since December, they share the 6th-best record in the league with an 11-5 mark. New Orleans boasts the second-best defense in the NBA and the No. 3 net rating over this stretch. Since their embarrassing loss at the In-Season Tournament in Las Vegas, New Orleans has gone 9-3.
The Pelicans are also getting a steady dose of offense from Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, and CJ McCollum — all of whom can put up at least 20 points on any given night. Ingram leads the Pelicans in scoring with 22.8 points per game, while Williamson is a close second at 22.1 points. McCollum is not far behind averaging 19.9 points a night.
New Orleans, however, could be without Trey Murphy, who has missed the last three games due to left knee tendonitis. When he is available, Murphy has provided the Pelicans a steady offensive boost off the bench with 14.8 points per game while shooting 42.3 percent from beyond the arc.
Final Clippers-Pelicans Prediction & Pick
In a game where both teams are entering with plenty of momentum, the Clippers should have the edge over here. They've been the slightly better team as of late and they also have more star power. Likewise, they could also have three of the five best players on the floor with Leonard, George, and Harden.
Final Clippers-Pelicans Prediction & Pick: Los Angeles Clippers: +1 (-108); Over: 229.5 (-110)
