Pelicans vs Clippers Odds, Picks, and Predictions Tonight: Back Los Angeles at Home

The Los Angeles Clippers have arguably been the best team in basketball for more than two months, and thanks to winning nine of their last 10 games, the Clippers have claimed the top spot in the Western Conference.

Los Angeles will look to stay scorching hot when they welcome the New Orleans Pelicans to Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday night. The Pelicans also enter this game playing well, having won three in a row, but Zion Williamson is questionable to play.

Regardless of Zion's availability, the NBA odds will have New Orleans as underdogs. Will the Pels be able to slow down the freight train that is the Clippers and keep this one close?

I break down this Western Conference matchup and bring you the best bet in my NBA picks for Pelicans vs. Clippers.

Pelicans vs Clippers odds

Pelicans vs Clippers predictions

The Los Angeles Clippers are a wagon.

It’s quite clear Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and James Harden have figured things out, and the fact that the Clippers have climbed into the top spot in the Western Conference is proof.

The Clippers have been arguably the best team in the NBA for more than two months now, and their three-headed monster looks unstoppable at times. Since December 1, Los Angeles boasts the best record in the Association at 26-5 and leads the NBA in both offensive rating and effective field goal percentage.

Not only are the Clips beating opponents, but they're doing so in a dominant fashion. That has resulted in Los Angeles going 21-10 against the spread in its last 31 games. 

Meanwhile, the New Orleans Pelicans have won three in a row to improve their record to 29-21, good for seventh in the West.

But although the Pels rank 12th in offensive rating and eighth in defensive rating, they tend to struggle against playoff-caliber opponents. New Orleans saw the more accurate form of Los Angeles in the latest meeting back on January 5, with the Clippers prevailing 111-95 and even leading 95-68 at one point in the fourth quarter.

L.A. limited New Orleans to just 35.9% shooting in that matchup and Jonas Valanciunas was the Pels leading scorer with 13 points. 

Tonight's number on the Clippers is a little short, and this value could increase further if Zion Williamson doesn’t play or isn't operating at 100%.

My best bet: Clippers -6 (-110 at DraftKings)

Pelicans vs Clippers same-game parlay

Clippers -6

Kawhi Leonard Under 27.5 points

Ivica Zubac Over 6.5 rebounds

+490 at DraftKings

Although Kawhi is on a tear right now, the Clippers superstar has also been taking advantage of some bad teams.

Leonard averages 24.4 points per game, and the Pelicans boast a Top 10 mark when it comes to defensive rating. Leonard scored just 19 points the last time these two teams met, so a point total of 27.5 is far too high for Leonard in tonight's matchup.

Let’s close this SGP out with Ivica Zubac to go Over 6.5 rebounds. Zubac should be full go in this game after a calf injury cost him nine starts, and he already averages 9.6 rebounds per game. The Clippers forced the Pelicans into a lot of misses last time around, and the matchup with Valanciunas could mean more minutes for the Clippers' big man.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

Pelicans vs Clippers spread and Over/Under analysis

The Clippers opened this Western Conference showdown as 7-point home favorites, and the Clippers are 15-1 ATS in their last 16 games when favored between 4 and 10 points.

Meanwhile, the total hasn’t seen much action to this point. It hit the board at 231 and has slightly increased to 231.5 as of Wednesday afternoon. The previous two meetings between these two teams had closing totals of 230.5 and 228.5 and both fell below the number.

The Pelicans' defense should be able to slow down the Clippers, at least to some extent. At the same time, New Orleans will struggle to maintain its shooting touch against a strong L.A. defense. Ultimately, I would lean toward this matchup cashing the Under for the third straight meeting.

Covers community NBA picks

Pelicans vs Clippers betting trend to know

The Clippers have covered the spread in eight of their last 10 games. Find more NBA betting trends for Pelicans vs. Clippers.

Pelicans vs Clippers game info

Pelicans vs Clippers latest injuries

Stay updated with the latest picks, odds, and news! Tap the to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

Pages related to this topic