The New Orleans Pelicans are running out of time in their quest to earn a spot in a Western Conference play-in – and they’ll get no quarter Monday against a Clippers team with plenty to play for itself. Los Angeles (43-19 SU, 36-25-1 ATS) has won four in a row to close in on top spot in the West, while the Pelicans (26-34 SU, 26-34 ATS) sit 4.5 games out of 10th place.
- Date/Time: April 26, 8 p.m. ET
- Arena: Smoothie King Arena
- TV Coverage: BSSC, BSNO
- Sportsbook Odds: Clippers -3.5 | O/U 227.5 (Line History)
- Clippers vs Pelicans Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The Clippers come in as 3.5-point road favorites, with the total set at 227.5; neither figure has moved since the odds opened.
Los Angeles News & Notes
The Clippers are showing the kind of resiliency that could very well lead to that elusive first NBA championship, rallying from a double-digit deficit while overcoming the absences of Kawhi Leonard, Serge Ibaka and others to upend the Houston Rockets 109-104 last time out. Los Angeles has now won 11 of 12 to move to within two games of the conference-leading Utah Jazz.
Look for the Clippers to continue their reliance on superstar Paul George, who poured in 33 points in the come-from-behind win over the Rockets and is averaging 29.6 points in April – more than 5.5 points above his season average. Lock him into your DFS cash game and tournament lineups as a heavy-usage, high-floor option in what should be a high-scoring game.
New Orleans News & Notes
The playoff prognosis is looking increasingly bleak for the Pelicans, who squandered yet another late lead in a 110-108 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night. Per ESPN’s stats and information research department, New Orleans has now lost six games when leading by five or more points in the final five minutes of a game – and three of those defeats have come in the past five games.
The lack of finish aside, the Pelicans’ return to relatively good health has not helped either their postseason fortunes or the daily fantasy value of their top players. Zion Williamson remains the best bet for DFS players, but his price has skyrocketed across the industry and he was held to just two rebounds the last time these teams met back on March 14.
Betting Pick: OVER 227.5 (-110)
The Pelicans have been a sensational OVER play this season, and these teams traditionally break out the big guns in the Big Easy. Look for this one to be another slugfest.
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Buy Sports Picks Now- The Clippers are 14-5-1 ATS in their last 20 games.
- The Pelicans are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games.
- The OVER is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in New Orleans.
