The Cleveland Cavaliers are winners of four straight and sit in the top half of the Eastern Conference, getting regular meaningful contributions across their entire rotation as four different players have led the team in scoring over their last six games.
On Friday night, they will travel to play the New Orleans Pelicans, who have put together a three-game winning streak of their own after sustaining a lengthy losing streak in the last month.
Can Brandon Ingram and the Pelicans keep steering the ship back in the right direction or will the Cavaliers’ endless depth wear New Orleans too thin?
Find out in our free NBA picks and predictions for Cavaliers vs. Pelicans on February 10.
Cavaliers vs Pelicans best odds
Cavaliers vs Pelicans picks and predictions
The NBA season is full of ebbs and flows, and no team has arguably been on a rollercoaster ride than the New Orleans Pelicans. Through late December, they boasted a 23-12 record and many were calling the newly emerging team a serious contender in the Western Conference.
During that time, they ranked sixth in both offensive rating and defensive rating, culminating in the second-best net rating in the league. They controlled the boards (sixth in rebounding rate) and maintained respectable ball security (11th in AST/TO ratio) despite ranking in the top third of pace.
What followed was a 3-15 run through all of January, bookended by a 10-game losing streak. Injuries to both Zion Williamson (out since January 1) and Brandon Ingram did not help, but the slippage was particularly concerning given how much praise the Pelicans’ depth had received during those first 35 games when things were going well.
During that hellacious 18-game stretch, the Pelicans ranked third-worst in offensive rating and 18th in defensive rating. They were the fourth-worst team by net rating standards, trailing only the likes of the Pistons, Rockets, and Spurs. Their assist-to-turnover ratio bottomed out to 28th despite slowing their pace down to 19th in the league.
Things have been much better in the last week, securing wins over the Lakers, Kings, and Hawks. The offense has looked much more in tune during that short span, putting up an average of 127.7 points — a massive jump from the 108.4 points they averaged in the previous 18 games.
However, New Orleans will host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night, and they've been arguably the league’s best defense this season. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen have been stalwarts inside, holding opposing offenses to the third-fewest points in the paint while contributing to the sixth-best defensive-rebounding unit in the league.
The Cavaliers come into Friday night riding a four-game win streak on the back of well-rounded production across their lineup. Four different players — Donovan Mitchell, Allen, Mobley, and Cedi Osman — have led the team in scoring in the last six games.
That included their last outing in which four of their five starters scored 14 or more points, and that was with Raul Neto starting in Mitchell’s place while the star took the night off.
Cleveland possesses a level of depth and defensive acumen that will simply be too much for a Pelicans team that, despite recent results, has been very one-dimensional for an unignorable amount of time.
My best bet: Cavaliers -2 (-110 at DraftKings)
Looking to do some NBA betting? Here are two of the best bonuses* available:
A) New users at FanDuel can get a no-sweat first bet of up to $3,000! Sign Up Now
B) Get one no-sweat NBA same-game parlay every day at DraftKings! Opt-in Now
*Eligible USA locations only. Also, check out our full list of best sportsbook promotions for 2023.
21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
Cavaliers vs Pelicans spread analysis
The spread opened with the Cavaliers as 2.5-point favorites and almost every shop has moved a half-point down to -2.
Cleveland is one of the league’s best teams against the spread, boasting a 30-24-3 record good for the fifth-best cover rate. On the road, the Cavs have been a concerning 11-15-2 (42.3%), but the difference between when they have been road underdogs (3-7) and road favorites (8-8-2) is notable.
The Cavs have won and covered in four straight, and have gone 9-4 ATS in their last 13. They come into Friday night with a rest disadvantage, having last played on Wednesday to New Orleans’ Tuesday, but their depth has come in handy in that particular split (7-3 ATS).
The Pelicans are 27-28-1 ATS on the year, which puts them just below the league average in terms of cover rate (49.1%). They have fared well at home against the number at 17-12 (58.6%) and even better as home underdogs (6-3, 66.7%).
New Orleans has won and covered in three straight, but failed to cover in the previous five and went 5-13 ATS during its recent downturn.
Cavaliers vs Pelicans Over/Under analysis
Friday’s total opened at 226 but has since notably moved down to the 223.5-224 range.
Given the Cavaliers’ defensive success this year, it’s no surprise they have played to a 32-25 record favoring the Under — the third-highest rate of Unders in the league at 56.1%. They have carried that defensive proficiency in road games, playing 17-11 to the Under in that split (39.3%).
Cleveland has played to the Under in three straight and in eight of its last 10. This is just the second time the Cavs have played in a game with a total at or above 223.5 since January 20.
New Orleans has played 31-25 to the Over on the season, tied for the seventh-highest rate of Overs on the season. The Pelicans have played to the Over in four of their last six, but Friday’s total is certainly on the lower end for them. This marks just the second time since January 24 that they have played in a total at or below Friday’s number.
Cavaliers vs Pelicans betting trend to know
The Cavaliers have gone 9-4 ATS in their last 13 and have covered in four straight. Find more NBA betting trends for Cavaliers vs. Pelicans.
Cavaliers vs Pelicans game info
| Location: | Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA |
| Date: | Friday, February 10, 2023 |
| Tip-off: | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ESPN |
