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The New Orleans Pelicans will pay a visit to Crypto.com Arena to take on the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes our Pelicans-Clippers prediction, odds, and pick we have laid out below.
The Pelicans are coming off a massive 114-111 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, spoiling the return of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. CJ McCollum led the way for New Orleans with 32 points, while Brandon Ingram added 29 points with eight rebounds and nine assists. The win gave the Pelicans a three-game advantage over the 11th seeded Lakers.
Meanwhile, the Clippers just came off a 153-119 blowout victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. L.A. got an out-of-left-field career night from Robert Covington who exploded for 43 points and 11 3-pointers. Amir Coffey also tallied a career-best 32 points in the win.
Here is how FanDuel has set the Pelicans-Clippers NBA odds for this Sunday night NBA matchup.
NBA Odds: Pelicans–Clippers Odds
New Orleans Pelicans: +2 (-110)
Los Angeles Clippers: -2 (-110)
Over: 224 (-110)
Under: 224 (-110)
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Why the Pelicans could cover the spread
The Pelicans’ late-season surge has given them a chance to compete for a playoff spot. New Orleans has been playing much better over its last 10 games, where the team has gone 7-3. Over this stretch, the Pelicans have had the 5th best defense and a top-10 offense in the NBA.
CJ McCollum’s arrival has certainly given this squad a huge boost at this point of the season. In 21 games as Pelican, McCollum is averaging 26.2 points and 6.2 assists while shooting 50.5 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from long range.
Only the two players already ruled out for the rest of the season — Kira Lewis (knee) and Zion Williamson (foot) — are out for New Orleans.
The Pelicans have won all three games versus L.A. this season, two of which came with Paul George still in the lineup. With that said, New Orleans seems to know how to beat this Clippers squad. And with an added offensive weapon in McCollum leading the way, they could steal this road victory over the Clippers.
The Pelicans hold a 39-37 ATS record. They are 16-22 on the road and have gone 23-24 against Western Conference teams.
Why the Clippers could cover the spread
Paul George is finally back and looks more than ready to lead the Clippers in the play-in tournament, where they currently stand at 8th in the Western Conference standings. PG13 had a terrific first game back last Tuesday, scoring 34 points with eight three-pointers to lead the Clippers to a 121-115 come-from-behind win over the Utah Jazz.
The Clippers have been largely up-and-down this season, as evidenced by their near .500 38-40 record. In fact, you wouldn’t have to look far to see how L.A.’s season has gone. Following their comeback win over Utah, the Clippers blew a huge lead of their own to the Chicago Bulls two nights later. One thing that’s been consistent, however, is the fact that L.A. has yet to beat New Orleans this season. All their three losses to the Pelicans have come in double-digits.
Five players are listed as out on the Clippers’ injury report: Kawhi Leonard (knee), Norman Powell (foot), Brandon Boston Jr. (non-COVID illness), Jason Preston (knee), and Jay Scrubb (knee).
The Clippers have a 36-39 record against the spread. They are 21-16 at home but are just 22-26 versus Western Conference teams.
Final Pelicans–Clippers Prediction & Pick
I’m tempted to go with New Orleans for this one because they’ve been the more consistent and together as of late. The Pelicans seem locked in to finish the regular season strong and secure a spot in the play-in tournament. Meanwhile, L.A. hasn’t been too consistent this season. With the return of Paul George, they might still be looking to re-establish the chemistry they lost from PG13’s lengthy absence.
Final Pelicans–Clippers Prediction & Pick: Pelicans: +2 (-110)