The New Orleans Pelicans will look to hold down the fort at home against the visiting Los Angeles Clippers on Friday.
Clippers vs Pelicans betting puts the Pels at -6, which is a fair line considering their form before their last loss.
Los Angeles is coming off a tough road game against Chicago so that it can be softened for this competition.
Clippers vs. Pelicans 
Day:
Location: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
Streaming: NBA League Pass
Loss of rare series
If the Clippers lose to the Pelicans, they will suffer a rare NBA regular season loss of series.
They trail 1-2 after a 117-106 home loss to the Pels in February, and they don’t fare well against New Orleans.
Have a NBA team with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, it’s great, but there aren’t many NBA players who can defend Zion Williamson in the paint and Brandon Ingram on the wings.
We expect the Clippers defense to be tested to its limits Friday at the Smoothie King Center, and there are concerns about the status of James Harden.
He missed the game against Chicago, and even though the NBA Injury Report states he will be back, take these reports with a grain of salt in 2024.
The Clippers are 33-32 ATS, so they haven’t been a hugely profitable bet. The Clippers vs. Pelicans betting line of +6 is generous for a team as good as the Clips, but playing the Pelicans on the road in the second game of a back-to-back makes life difficult.
We could see the line move on game night.
Key victory for the Pelicans
Beating the Clippers and winning the series 3-1 would be a big win for the Pelicans.
“It’s exhilarating to see our team lock in like we did,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said of their recent win over the Clippers. “Watching the Clippers over the last couple of months, they’ve been one of the best teams in the league, so it was great to see all of our guys commit from the start. Just a very disciplined wire-to-wire game.
They could meet in the playoffs based on the current situation. NBA Playoff Rankingsso having this advantage is good for their mental preparation.
They were well handled by the Cleveland Cavaliers 116-95 in their last game. However, they looked much better in winning their previous four NBA Gamesincluding wins against the Pacers, 76ers and Hawks.
NBA Betting Odds give them a lot of respect because of their ATS record. They are 35-28-2 ATS and 17-14 ATS at home. It’s strong enough to win the support of punters, and they have shown their qualities at times.
We don’t think they’re a better team than the Clippers, but it’s all about matchups. The Pelicans would love to play the Clippers in the NBA Playoffs because they match up well, hence the current Clippers vs. Pelicans betting line of -6.
Pelicans ready to fly
Covering a -6 line isn’t easy, but there is good confidence with the Clippers vs Pelicans betting lines.
They may have lost their last game, but we expect the Pelicans to perform at their best in front of their home crowd.
In their previous two victories against the Clippers, they won by a combined margin of 21 points. It’s a great form guide for this game, and we’re happy with the current line.
THE above/below the line is 222, and we block overtaking. Points could come freely to both sides, and the most would have been conceded in two of their previous three meetings.
Williamson could be in for a big scoring game. THE Pelicans Big Man averages 22.3 points per game, but we think he’ll score more than his average.
For NBA Betting Newsodds analysis and more, visit Point spreads Sports magazine.
