NBA: New Orleans Pelicans vs. LA Clippers Preview, Odds, Prediction

New Orleans Pelicans are visiting the LA Clippers on Wednesday night, trying to avoid further slip in the Western Conference’s standings. Right now, the Pels have three straight losses, which is a bit alarming for all of their fans. Meanwhile, the Clips are hot and cold, subsequently winning and losing matches in recent times. Yet, their situation is much better than New Orleans’ as they sit far above the .500 and are in the mix for winning the Conference.

Preview

The boys from New Orleans (+205) didn’t play their match against the Dallas Mavericks due to the rival’s COVID-19 issues. We’ll see whether they used this unexpected pause to regroup and refresh, because this young team needed some shock to bounce back into the saddle.

Losses against Indiana and Charlotte wouldn’t be troubling that much if they didn’t happen at home. The one versus Oklahoma City did raise some concerns, because Thunder is in the rebuilding process, and the Pelicans definitely have a better team. After all, they won in the first H2H meeting on the road with a 33-point margin.

Brandon Ingram leads the way in Stan Van Gundy’s crew, dropping 24 points, 7.1 boards, and 5.8 assists per night. Even though Zion might be the biggest star on the team, the 23-year old forward is the most important player. Lonzo Ball still struggles to find consistency, with 12.4 points and just 4.4 assists, which isn’t very good for one point guard.

We aren’t used to seeing the Clippers (-245) allowing too many points. So far this year, they score 111.8, but on the other side, their rivals post just one basket fewer. Now that is a lot for a team that has Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Serge Ibaka, Patrick Beverly, etc.

The huge comeback allowed in the second of back-to-back games against the Golden State Warriors was a sign that this team still struggles with game closures. It also suggested that the experience from the latest playoffs wasn’t adequately analyzed. If they want to dethrone the Lakers, slips like these can’t be allowed. Not because of wins in the regular part of the campaign, but due to the confidence and the pressure. The Clips can’t afford to receive a label of a unit that chokes once things get rough.

Leonard had a nice milestone against the Bulls, as the two-time NBA Finals MVP scored his 10,000th career point. The Claw scored 35 against in a 130-127 win, while Paul George added 28. A refreshing thing for Tyronn Lue was Lou Williams’ performance, with the dynamic guard coming off the bench and delivering 21 points.

Head to Head Matches

Clippers had three wins last year, while New Orleans posted one victory, in the opening meeting of the regular-season series.

Prediction

The home team is the favorite here, and there is no debate for us whether they will triumph or not. It is hard to believe that the Clippers have three straight win-loss combinations, especially against the Pelicans, who are going downhill. For you who are a bit braver, try Clippers covering a 6-point spread.