Pelicans vs Clippers Odds & Prediction: Final West Playoff Spot On The Line In LA

Los Angeles (42-41 SU, 40-42-1 ATS) was on its way to clinching a playoff berth Tuesday before blowing a big fourth-quarter lead in a loss to the Timberwolves. The Clippers get another chance to qualify for the playoffs when they host the Pelicans (37-46, 42-40-1), but New Orleans is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.

Pelicans vs Clippers Odds & Analysis

Sportsbook Odds

Early Pelicans vs Clippers predictions have been balanced on both sides as neither the side or total had moved much from the openers of LA -4 and 215.5 by this morning. LA was a two-point favorite when it beat the Pelicans 119-100 two weeks ago at Crypto.com Arena, the Clippers’ first cover in the last seven meetings.

Get the best Pelicans vs Clippers odds and lines available from our recommended sportsbooks for your favorite picks of the night.

Pelicans Looks To Continue Road Success, Build On Play-In Victory Vs San Antonio

Veteran CJ McCollum led the way in New Orleans’ 113-103 victory over San Antonio in Wednesday’s play-in contest, scoring 27 first-half points on 10-of-12 shooting and finishing with 32. McCollum, Brandon Ingram and Jonas Valanciunas accounted for 81 of the Pels’ 113 points as New Orleans moved to 8-3 SU this season when starting those three alongside Jaxson Hayes and rookie Herb Jones.

The Pelicans have been tough outs on the road recently as well, going 13-5 ATS in their last 18 road games overall and 10-4 ATS in their last 14 as a road underdog. Defense has been a big factor in New Orleans’ road success as the UNDER is 15-5-1 in the Pelicans’ last 21 games away from the Big Easy.

George Needs More Help If Clippers Are Going To Bounce Back From Tough Loss

It’ll be interesting to see how the Clippers bounce back mentally from Tuesday’s tough 109-104 loss at Minnesota. Los Angeles appeared to have the game and a play-off spot in hand when it held a 10-point lead with under nine minutes remaining, but the Clippers then allowed Minnesota to go on a 16-2 run that turned the tables and put LA in a must-win position tonight.

Paul George led Los Angeles Tuesday with 34 points and is now averaging 30 points per game in his last dozen postseason outings, but he was also 2-for-10 from the field in the first half and then went quiet in the fourth quarter. George could use more help from his teammates tonight as Reggie Jackson (17 points) and Norm Powell (16) were the only other Clippers players to score more than 12.

LA’s secondary scoring could get a big boost tonight if backup guard Luke Kennard is able to return from a hamstring injury that sidelined him Tuesday. Kennard led the NBA in three-point percentage this season (44.9%) and is averaging nearly 16 points per game in his last six outings.

Pelicans vs Clippers Pick & Insights

Pelicans: Keys to Cover

New Orleans has a defensive answer for George in Jones, who harassed Spurs all-star Dejounte Murray into five-of-19 shooting on Wednesday. If the Pelicans can shut down George and force other Clippers to beat them, they should have a great chance at the upset, especially if Valanciunas keeps putting up big numbers to support top scorers McCollum and Ingram.

Clippers: Keys to Cover

Los Angeles has feasted on sub-.500 opponents like the Pelicans lately, winning 10 of their last 11 games against teams with losing records by an average of 13.1 points per game. Meanwhile, New Orleans is just 2-8 SU in its last 10 against teams that finished the season above .500, making a LA moneyline play a tempting Pelicans vs Clippers prediction.

Odds Shark’s Computer Pelicans vs Clippers Prediction: Pelicans +4

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