The playoff hopefuls face off Wednesday in an inter-conference game as the Cleveland Cavaliers (41-24) visit New Orleans Pelicans (39-25). The Cavaliers have lost their last two games, while the Pelicans are on a four-game winning streak. New Orleans won the last meeting between these teams 123-104, but both teams were missing key players. The Cavaliers were missing Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley in this game while the Pelicans were without Zion Williamson.
Cleveland listed Mitchell as questionable for this contest as he recovers from a knee injury. Mobley and Max Strus remain on the sidelines. New Orleans is unscathed on the injury front outside of Dyson Daniels, who remains with a knee injury.
The Pelicans are 7-point favorites according to DraftKings Sports Betting with a total of 216.5. New Orleans is -270 on the moneyline while Cleveland is +220.
Cavaliers vs. Pelicans, 8 p.m. ET
Choose ATS: Riders +7
The Cavaliers managed to hold on despite numerous injuries. They are 17 games above .500, 11-10 ATS as an underdog this season and 7-6 ATS as a road underdog. The Pelicans are 17-13 ATS as a home team this season, with a 12-10 ATS record as a home favorite. The Cavaliers are 13-8-2 ATS after a loss while the Pelicans are 19-19 ATS after a win.
As long as Mitchell suits up, I think the Cavaliers can at least cover that line. New Orleans should find a way to win this game but it will be much closer than the first head-to-head. Give me Cleveland to cover me if Mitchell plays.
More less : Over 216.5
Both teams are tending towards the bottom. The Cavaliers are 29-35-1 while the Pelicans are 28-35-1. After four straight unders, the Cavs have actually exceeded their total in the last three games. The Pelicans have fallen under in seven of nine games since the All-Star break. However, this figure is too low for me to consider the figure below. The last game was played on this line without Mitchell, Garland, Mobley and Williamson. At least two of these guys are back, that’s for sure, and I like the result.
