Playoff seeding is on the line when the Los Angeles Clippers battle the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday in the Orlando bubble. The Clippers have dominated in conference play, going 27-15, while New Orleans has struggled, going 17-26. This matchup from HP Field House in Orlando, Fla., is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET.
William Hill lists Los Angeles as the five-point favorite in the latest Pelicans vs. Clippers odds. The over-under for total points scored is set at 232.5. Before making any Clippers vs. Pelicans picks, check out the NBA predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and it's already returned over $4,000 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks during the 2019-20 season. It also was a blistering 52-32 on all top-rated NBA spread picks before the coronavirus shutdown, returning almost $1,700 on those picks alone. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Clippers vs. Pelicans. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines from William Hill and trends for Pelicans vs. Clippers:
- Pelicans vs. Clippers spread: Clippers -5
- Pelicans vs. Clippers over-under: 232.5 points
- Pelicans vs. Clippers money line: Clippers -220, Pelicans +190
- NO: Third in the NBA in assists per game at 26.9
- LAC: Third in the league in rebounds per game at 47.8
Why the Pelicans can cover
The Pelicans have won seven of the past 11 games in the series. They are led by forward Brandon Ingram, who is averaging 24.2 points per game. He scored 23 points in the loss to Utah and missed a potential game-winning shot. In two games against the Clippers this season, Ingram is averaging 22.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists. Rookie Zion Williamson is averaging 23.1 points per game. He scored 13 points in limited minutes (15) in the Orlando opener, and should be set to take on a bigger load Saturday.
Also powering the Pelicans is guard Jrue Holiday (19.6 average), who was red-hot against the Jazz, hitting 9 of 18 shots, including two 3-pointers. He also had five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Holiday has played well against Los Angeles. In two games, he is averaging 27 points, five rebounds and 5.5 assists, and in 24 career games, Holiday is averaging 14.5 points and 7.3 assists against them.
Why the Clippers can cover
Coach Doc Rivers and the Clippers have had a lot of success against the Pelicans with Rivers compiling a 24-19 record (.558) against them. Los Angeles had rallied from an early deficit against the Lakers on Thursday but faltered down the stretch in a two-point loss. Guard Paul George had a monster game with 30 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals. He is averaging 25.5 points per game, while shooting 42.9 percent from 3-point range against New Orleans this season.
Guard Reggie Jackson, who scored 10 points against the Lakers, averages 12.7 points and 4.4 assists. In 21 career games against the Pelicans, Jackson has averaged 9.6 points and 3.7 assists.
How to make Clippers vs. Pelicans picks
SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total as only three players score more than 20 points in the simulations. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in nearly 60 percent of simulations. You can only see that pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Clippers vs. Pelicans? And which side of the spread hits in nearly 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Pelicans vs. Clippers spread you need to jump on Saturday, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
