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The LA Clippers (42-23) take on the New Orleans Pelicans (39-26) Friday with tip-off from Smoothie King Center set for 8 p.m. ET . Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Clippers vs. Pelicans odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions.
Season series: Pelicans lead 2-1
The Clippers routed the Chicago Bulls 126-111 Thursday night without G James Harden (shoulder). F Paul George led the way with 28 points with 7 assists, and he shot 6-for-7 from 3-point land. G Kawhi Leonard shrugged off back spasms from the previous game to drop 27 points. The Clippers are 5-5 over the last 10 and sit in 4th place in the West — 3 games up on the Pels.
The Pelicans snapped a 4-game winning streak with a dud against the Cleveland Cavaliers Wednesday night. The Cavs won 116-95 as 5.5-point dogs. F Zion Williamson had 33 points and 9 boards. F Brandon Ingram had 20, but the rest of the team scored just 42 points. This is an important game in order to sneak into the top 4 in the conference.
Clippers at Pelicans odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:30 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Clippers +240 (bet $100 to win $240) | Pelicans -300 (bet $300 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Clippers +7.5 (-115) | Pelicans -7.5 (-105)
- Over/Under (O/U): 217.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
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Clippers at Pelicans key injuries
Clippers
(Not yet submitted — below was for Thursday’s game)
- G James Harden (shoulder) out
- G Russell Westbrook (hand) out
Pelicans
- G Dyson Daniels (knee) out
For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.
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Clippers at Pelicans and predictions
Prediction
Clippers 112, Pelicans 110
Moneyline
I get the allure of the Pelicans here. The Clippers are on the road on the back end of a back-to-back. But I don’t think the Clippers should be +240 against anyone. Harden may sit again, but Kawhi and PG13 are still enough to lock Ingram down and slow Zion.
This is a risk, but it’s one that can be worth 2.4x your trouble.
LEAN CLIPPERS +240.
Against the spread
If you’re opting for the value on the Clips ML, I’d usually advise against hedging the spread in case they don’t show up. This time, though, I like the 7.5-point cushion. The Pelicans routed the Clippers in their own building last time out, but PG13 was just 3-for-15 from the floor. He has a hot hand, and I don’t see that repeating.
Take the CLIPPERS +7.5 (-115).
Over/Under
The Pels are 2-8 O/U over the last 10, and the Clippers are 5-5. The Over is just 3-7 in the last 10. Neither team plays at a blistering pace, and with LA on no rest, I’ll take the UNDER 217.5 (-105).
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