The Los Angeles Clippers play host to the New Orleans Pelicans at the Intuit Dome on Sunday night. Here’s a Clippers vs. Pelicans prediction. This article will include a Clippers vs. Pelicans pick.
New Orleans Pelicans Betting Preview
The New Orleans Pelicans have been in great form as they’ve reeled off six of their past eight games and they will be gunning for a fifth straight victory after taking down the Jazz in a 115-105 road win last night. Saddiq Bey led the team with 24 points and six assists; Jeremiah Fears and Bryce McGowens each scored 18 points, while Herbert Jones chipped in with 17 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. As a team, the Pelicans shot 46 percent from the field and 15 of 44 from the 3-point line as they took control of the contest with a dominant 38-18 second quarter to open up a 27-point lead, which allowed them to cruise in the second half and rest a couple starters early despite a late flurry from the Jazz.
Los Angeles Clippers Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Clippers have cooled off recently as they’ve lost six of their last 10 games overall and they will be hoping to stop a three-game slide after falling short to the Timberwolves in a 94-88 loss on Thursday. Derrick Jones Jr. led the team with 18 points on seven of 11 shooting, Bennedict Mathurin added 14 points with six rebounds, and Kris Dunn chipped in with 11 points and seven assists. As a team, the Clippers shot just 41 percent from the field and a miserly five of 22 from the 3-point line, but they worked hard all game to trail by just one point late in the fourth quarter before the Timberwolves closed the final 1:18 on a 7-2 run to slip away at the end.
Why the Los Angeles Clippers will win
- The Pelicans have lost each of their last eight road games against Pacific Division opponents.
- The Clippers have won 10 of their last 11 games against teams that held a losing record.
- The Clippers have covered the spread in each of their last eight home games against Western Conference opponents.
- The Pelicans have failed to cover the spread in each of their last five games on the second leg of a back-to-back against the Clippers.
Why the New Orleans Pelicans will win
- The Clippers have lost each of their last five games as favorites against opponents who are on the second leg of a back-to-back.
- The Pelicans have won each of their last six games against Western Conference opponents.
- The Pelicans have covered the spread in each of their last 10 games against Western Conference opponents.
- The Clippers have failed to cover the spread in 12 of their last 13 games against Pelicans teams that held a losing record.
Total Points: Facts
- Seven of the Pelicans’ last eight games against Western Conference opponents have gone UNDER the total points line.
- Each of the Clippers’ last four home games following a home loss has gone UNDER the total points line.
Los Angeles Clippers Player Facts
- Kawhi Leonard has scored 30+ points in two consecutive appearances—the equal-longest active streak of any player in the league.
- Benedict Mathurin is one of only six players to have scored 35+ points off the bench in a game this season.
New Orleans Pelicans Player Facts
- Herb Jones is one of only two players in the league to have recorded 8+ steals in a game this season.
- Jeremiah Fears is one of only six players in the league to have recorded 7+ steals in a game this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Clippers rank 30th in the league for assists per game this season (23.5).
- The Clippers rank 1st in the league for free throw percentage this season (83.2%).
- The Pelicans have recorded the largest comeback win from an HT deficit this season—trailing by 22 points vs. the Rockets on December 18.
- The Pelicans rank 29th in the league for opponent offensive rebounds per game this season (12.7).
Clippers vs Pelicans Prediction
The Clippers are still missing Darius Garland and Bradley Beal, with Kawhi Leonard and John Collins both listed as questionable, while the Pelicans could be short-handed as they are keeping an eye on Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, and Trey Murphy III, who are all questionable. The Clippers beat the Pelicans by 126-124 back on Nov 1 in the NBA Cup thanks to Leonard, who drained the game winner at the buzzer. The Clippers have opened as heavy favorites, understandably, but they’ve gone a little cold lately and I don’t trust them to cover this spread. The Pelicans have been playing better than their record suggests and I think they can hang around in a low-scoring affair.