Clippers vs. Pelicans: Betting Insights and Pick | March 15

Los Angeles Clippers (42-23 SU, 33-32 ATS) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (39-26 SU, 35-29 ATS)

When: Friday, March 15th, 8:00 PM (ET)

Where: Smoothie King Center, LA, New Orleans

TV: BSNO

Point Spread: LAC +6.5/NO -6.5

Total: 215.5

Money Line: Los Angeles Clippers +217/-268

Notable Injuries

Clippers

• James Harden (Questionable) Shoulder
• Russell Westbrook (Out) Hand

Pelicans

• Dyson Daniels (Out) Knee

At 8:00 ET, the New Orleans Pelicans will host the Los Angeles Clippers in a Western Conference matchup. The Pelicans are 5th in the West with a record of 39-26, while the Clippers are 4th in the West at 42-23.

New Orleans is currently favored by 6.5 points, and the over/under line is set at 215.5. The Clippers are +217 on the moneyline. The game will be played at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans and can be seen on BSNO.

Recent Form

In Clippers games this season, the average combined scoring total is 229.7 points per game. This is higher than today’s O/U line of 215.5. The team’s O/U record for the season is 29-35-1, and the over has hit in their last three games.

As the underdog this season, the Clippers are 3-10 straight-up and 4-9 against the spread. They have been the underdog in just 13 of their 65 games. On average, they have been outscored by 8.5 points per game when not favored.

Los Angeles is 33-32 against the spread this season, including a 17-16 ATS record on the road. At home, they have failed to cover the spread in their last two games.

The Clippers are coming off a 126-111 win over the Bulls, where they covered the spread (-5.5). The O/U line for that game was 214.5 points.

Currently, the Clippers are 4th in the Western Conference with a record of 42-23. Against the West, they are 25-17 and 17-6 against non-conference opponents. On the road, they are 20-13.

In the Western Conference standings, the Pelicans are currently in 5th place with a record of 39-26. Within the Southwest Division, they are in 1st place.

This season, the Pelicans have gone 26-14 as the favorite and are 20-19 against the spread as the favorite. As the favorite, they have a scoring margin of +8.4 points per game.

New Orleans’ ATS record for the season is 35-29, including a mark of 17-14 at home and 18-15 on the road. Today, they are favored by 6.5 points against the Clippers.

In their last game, the Pelicans lost to the Cavaliers by a score of 116-95. The O/U line for that game was 217.5, and they were favored by 5.5 points going into the game.

On the season, the Pelicans have an O/U record of 28-37, and the under has hit in their last three games. Today’s O/U line of 215.5 is lower than their season average of 229.5.

The Historicals

Over the last 5 head to head meetings, the Pelicans have averaged 116 points per game compared to 109 for Los Angeles. This has led to an ATS record of 4-1 for New Orleans. In these contests, they averaged a combined 225 points per game, leading to an over-under mark of 2-3.

Analysis

On offense, the Clippers are 11th in the league in scoring at 117 points per game. When playing on the road, they are averaging 117.3 points per game compared to 116.8 at home. In terms of pace, they are 27th in the NBA.

So far this season, the Clippers are 6th in the league in field goal percentage at 49%. They are also 4th in true shooting percentage. In terms of three-point shooting, they are 2nd in the NBA at 38%.

When it comes to getting to the free-throw line, the Clippers are 13th in attempts at 22.5 per game. In terms of assists, they are 20th in the NBA.

The Clippers’ defense is presently ranked 11th in the league, allowing an average of 112.7 points per contest. Inside the arc, the Clippers defense is giving up a shooting percentage of 54.0% and 36.1% from three-point territory.
       

At home, the Pelicans are averaging 116.5 points per game, which is 14th in the NBA. Overall, they are 13th in scoring at 116.1 points per game. In terms of pace, they are 17th in the league.

When it comes to shooting, the Pelicans are 8th in field goal percentage at 48%. They are also 5th in three-point shooting at 38%. However, in terms of three-point attempts, they are 23rd in the NBA.

So far this season, the Pelicans have outscored the NBA average in 55.4% of their games. In terms of assists, they are 11th in the league.

Not only do the Pelicans’ overall defensive numbers look good, as they are 8th in the league in points allowed. New Orleans has also been playing well on defense of late, ranking 8th in the league over their last three games at 104.7 PPG allowed. When it comes to defending inside the arc, the Pelicans squad is permitting opposing teams to shoot at a clip of 55.0% inside the arc, and they’re also giving up 34.5% from downtown.

Betting Trends

• In their last five games away from home, the Clippers have a straight up record of 4-1 while going 2-3 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 108 points per game in these contests.
• In their last ten games at home, the Pelicans have a straight up record of 8-2 while going 5-4-1 vs. the spread. The team averaged 112 points per game in this stretch.
• As the betting underdog, the Clippers have an ATS mark of just 1-2 in their last three games. Los Angeles posted a straight up mark of 1-2 in these matchups.
• In their last five games as the betting favorite, the Pelicans have a strong straight up record of 4-1. In addition, their ATS record was 3-1-1 in these scenarios.

Joes Pick To Cover The Spread

Despite holding a three-game lead in the Western Conference over the Pelicans, the Clippers find themselves as 6.5 point underdogs tonight in New Orleans. If things stay the same in the standings down the stretch, this could very well be a first-round matchup, so the Pelicans will be looking to make a push and possibly grab the home court advantage in a potential series. But even with James Harden being listed as questionable, I like the Clippers to keep this one closer than expected. My pick is LAC +6.5.