The New Orleans Pelicans have claimed two victories in their last three games despite shutting Zion Williamson down for the remainder of the season, but after coming through a light schedule, they’ll be in for a tough one against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.
My Pelicans vs. Clippers predictions will cover how both teams’ strengths on defense should lead us to a surprisingly low-scoring game despite the lopsided spread.
Let’s dig into some NBA player props and hand out some NBA picks on Wednesday, April 2.
Pelicans vs Clippers prediction
My best bet: Under 218.5 (-110 at bet365)
My analysis
Since losing Zion Williamson two weeks ago, things haven’t been all that bad for the New Orleans Pelicans. They’ve certainly missed his contributions on offense, but defensively they sit 16th in efficiency rating and continue to look strong on the glass with a Top-10 mark in rebounding rate.
The issue is that the Los Angeles Clippers possess Top-6 marks in rebounding rate and defensive efficiency, so this team could easily be stripped of any sort of edge it’s been able to muster up on the boards and should continue to struggle scoring the ball.
New Orleans’ defense could certainly come in handy here. The Clippers have excelled on the offensive end all year long, but in recent weeks they have fallen from their perch just a bit with only the ninth-best efficiency rating.
That’s due in large part to the fact that L.A. continues shooting plenty of shots out of the mid-range, leaving its red-hot outside shooting numbers out to dry. New Orleans has the 12th-best mid-range defense overall in the last two weeks, ranking first against long middies, and to boot sits sixth against the triple.
With strong numbers like these in the Clippers’ preferred shooting zones, I think we can reasonably expect New Orleans to slow L.A. a bit. On the flip side, it should have no chance at scoring at the rim — where it’s taken the majority of its shots — against the second-best team in the league down low in the last 14 days.
These two teams rank 20th and 21st in pace over that span and should show some pretty strong looks on defense, leading me to side with the Under here.
Pelicans vs Clippers same-game parlay
Under 218.5
Jose Alvarado Over 2.5 made threes
Bogdan Bogdanovic Over 1.5 made threes
We’re going to play some 3-pointers here in spite of our Under best bet, given both of these teams rank in the Top 10 of 3-point shots allowed in the last two weeks.
Yes, they’ve defended the 3-point line with excellence, but that — and the fact that both sides rank Top-5 in defending the rim of late — should reasonably entice both sides to shoot more from outside than they’re used to.
Jose Alvarado should continue seeing plenty of run here with CJ McCollum out, and he sits atop this team in 3-point shooting frequency for the season. He’s now launched 5.7 per game over his last six contests, and while he’s been in a funk from outside, I don’t see why he can’t hit this number if he’s going to shoot eight or nine times.
This game should also likely result in a lofty Clippers win, which is why I’m not shying away from backing Bogdan Bogdanovic, who occasionally struggles to see the floor off the bench. He won’t have Amir Coffey in his way in the rotation, and we do know he’ll shoot from deep when he’s on the court with an average of 5.3 attempts in his last three games.
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Pelicans vs Clippers odds
Pelicans vs Clippers live odds
Pelicans vs Clippers opening odds
- Spread: New Orleans +17.5 (-110) | Los Angeles -17.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: New Orleans +1000 | Los Angeles -2000
- Over/Under: Over 217 (-110) | Under 217 (-110)
Odds courtesy of bet365
Pelicans vs Clippers spread and Over/Under analysis
- The Pelicans have covered in four straight but are just 10-19 against the spread as road underdogs.
- The Clippers are a solid 17-6 ATS as home favorites.
- L.A. has played to the Over in four straight but is 12-10-1 to the Under as a home favorite.
Pelicans vs Clippers trend
The Pelicans have hit the 1Q Under in 18 of their last 24 games (+11.15 Units / 41% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Pelicans vs. Clippers.
How to watch Pelicans vs Clippers
| Location | Intuit Dome, Inglewood, CA |
| Date | Wednesday, 4-2-2025 |
| Tip-off | 10:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | FanDuel Sports Network - SoCal, GCSEN |
Pelicans vs Clippers latest injuries
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