The New Orleans Pelicans (15-26) host the Los Angeles Clippers (21-21) Thursday at the Smoothie King Center for an 8 p.m. ET tip-off. Below, we look at the Clippers vs. Pelicans odds and lines, and make our expert NBA picks, predictions and bets.
L.A. (+2.5) upset the Denver Nuggets 87-85 at home Tuesday for its second consecutive victory.
Over the past two weeks, the Clippers are 3-4 straight-up (SU), 3-4 ATS and 4-3 O/U with the 23rd-ranked non-garbage time net rating at minus-6.6 and the 14th-best ATS margin at minus-0.2, according to CleaningTheGlass.com (CTG).
NOLA (+3.5) also won as a home underdog its last time out, 128-125, versus the Minnesota Timberwolves. Pelicans’ wing Brandon Ingram hit a game-winning 3-pointers at the end of regulation to key the victory.
In the last 14 days, NOLA is 2-4 SU, 3-3 ATS and 3-3 O/U with the 22nd-ranked non-garbage time net rating at minus-6.2 and the 18th-ranked ATS margin at minus-1.1, per CTG.
The Pelicans have won four straight versus the Clippers, including both meetings this season and covered their last five head-to-head games.
Clippers at Pelicans odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:20 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Clippers +133 (bet $100 to win $133) | Pelicans -165 (bet $165 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Clippers +3.5 (-107) | Pelicans -3.5 (-115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 214.5 (O: -108 | U: -112)
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Clippers at Pelicans key injuries
Clippers
- SF Paul George (elbow) out
- SG Luke Kennard (health and safety protocols) out
Pelicans
- None.
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Clippers at Pelicans odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Pelicans 113, Clippers 104
Money line
PASS with a heavy “lean” towards the Pelicans (-165) because I’m confident enough in NOLA that I’d rather just lay the points.
However, there’s still value in the Pelicans outright, and I wouldn’t hate betting NOLA’s money line here.
Against the spread
BET the PELICANS -3.5 (-115) because this is a good sell-high spot for the Clippers +3.5 (-107) and NOLA’s has L.A.’s number in recent meetings.
The Clippers’ double-digit comeback victory over the Nuggets had a lot more to do with Denver choking than it did L.A. playing well.
Furthermore, L.A. has struggled to cover in two straight games. The Clippers are 3-13 ATS in their last 13 games following a cover.
Also, NOLA has a strength-on-weakness edge in the rebounding department.
For instance, the Pelicans are fourth in offensive rebounding rate and score the fifth-most second-chance points per game (PPG).
Whereas the Clippers have the worst defensive rebounding rate and are 21st in second-chance points allowed per game.
On top of that, NOLA big Jonas Valančiūnas has owned L.A. big Ivica Zubac in their nine career head-to-head games.
Valančiūnas is outscoring Zubac 18.9-7.1 PPG and outrebounding him 11.6-6.9 boards per game in those meetings.
Plus Valančiūnas dominated Zubac in the first two Clippers-Pelicans games this season. Valančiūnas outscored Zubac 65-12 and outrebounded him 28-15 in those contests.
BET the PELICANS -3.5 (-115) for 1 unit.
Over/Under
PASS with a slight “lean” to the Over 214.5 (-108) because there has been too much line movement from the opening total (218), and my instinct is to fade said line movement.
That said, the Clippers are 18-24 O/U, the Pelicans are 18-22-1 O/U and I don’t have a strong enough graph on this total to take a stand. Also, my predicted score isn’t that much different than the projected total.
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