The New Orleans Pelicans (18-42) and Los Angeles Clippers (27-31) will meet in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 9:00 p.m. ET from the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The game will broadcast live on Gulf Coast Sports.
The Clippers are 8.5-point favorites over the Pelicans on the spread (Clippers -8.5), with the over/under set at 223.5 total points. Los Angeles is a -345 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while New Orleans is +275 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Pelicans vs. Clippers predictions and NBA picks for Sunday, March 1.
Pelicans vs Clippers Prediction
- Pelicans vs Clippers pick: Pelicans +8.5 (-105)
My Clippers vs. Pelicans best bet is on New Orleans to cover the spread, with the best price currently available at DraftKings. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Pelicans vs Clippers Odds
| Pelicans Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+8.5 -105 | 223.5 -110o / -110u | +275 |
| Clippers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-8.5 -115 | 223.5 -110o / -110u | -345 |
Pelicans vs Clippers NBA Preview
After winning back-to-back games in Utah, the Pelicans continue their six-game road trip in Los Angeles to take on the Clippers.
New Orleans enters the contest having won four straight games for only the second time this season.
While victories over Utah aren't enough to get anyone excited, the Pelicans did begin this win streak by knocking off the 76ers and Warriors at home.
Moreover, despite having the third-worst record in the West at 19-42, New Orleans is one of the better-performing teams against the spread, ranking eighth with a 33-27-1 mark.
Those numbers suggest that this is a Pelicans team that's perhaps misprofiled by the betting markets.
For example, if you look at the six teams this season with fewer than 20 wins, New Orleans largely outperforms all of them with a point differential of almost +3.0.
By no means am I saying this Pelicans unit is a good team. They just aren't as bad as you might ordinarily think.
If we turn to the Clippers, they'll be looking to snap a three-game losing streak of their own. Yet despite their recent skid, they still have a five-game cushion for the 10th seed in the play-in tournament.
Los Angeles currently trails the Lakers by 7.5 games for the sixth seed and a guaranteed playoff spot.
Thus, it's not a stretch to say that the Clippers are in a bit of a no man's land at the moment: too far behind the pack to mount a legitimate challenge for the top six and far enough ahead that they're unlikely to face any real threat for the play-in.
As a result, complacency is something Los Angeles might have to endure for the rest of the season.
The biggest challenge for the Clippers is that they've gotten far worse defensively. After finishing third last season in efficiency (109.4), they've dropped to 18th, allowing 115.4 points per 100 possessions.
For comparison, New Orleans sits 26th with a Defensive Rating of 117.6.
Considering how vulnerable this Clippers team has looked defensively, laying nine points even to a lowly Pelicans side might be a bridge too far.
Pelicans vs Clippers Predictions, Betting Analysis
I'm well aware that this situational spot is far from optimal for the Pelicans, given that it's the second leg of a back-to-back.
However, on short rest, New Orleans holds a 5-5 record against the spread.
Interestingly, when the Pelicans are facing a rest disadvantage, their ATS mark improves to 10-4.
This record further highlights a tendency for opposing teams to sometimes take the Pelicans for granted.
New Orleans has been somewhat of a bugaboo for the Clippers, winning six of their last 10 head-to-head meetings while covering the spread in nine of those games.
After running the numbers, my model makes New Orleans roughly a seven-point underdog. Therefore, I'm inclined to back the visitors at +8.5, given the current number.
Pick: Pelicans +8.5 (-105)
Spread
My Pelicans vs. Clippers betting prediction is on New Orleans to cover the spread.
Moneyline
I'm taking the Pelicans +8.5 instead of targeting the moneyline in tonight's matchup.
Over/Under
No play on the total here.
