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Two Western Conference contenders will go head-to-head on Friday, March 15, as the LA Clippers, 42-23 and fourth in the West, hit the road to face off against the New Orleans Pelicans, 39-26 and fifth in the West.
The Clippers will be playing back-to-back games, having faced the Chicago Bulls on the road on Thursday, March 14, in a contest that they won 126-111. Meanwhile, the Pelicans are looking to bounce back from a tough home defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers, where they fell 116-95, failing to cover the spread as 6.5-point favorites.
With the Pelicans currently leading the series 2-1, this will mark the fourth and final meeting between these two teams in the regular season. The game is set to tip off at 8pm ET at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
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LA Clippers vs New Orleans Pelicans prediction, starting lineups and betting tips
The game between the Clippers and Pelicans will be aired locally on Bally Sports New Orleans and Bally Sports SoCal for home and away coverage.
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It will also be available for live streaming on NBA League Pass and Fubo TV, giving viewers access to NBA TV for a week's worth of free trial.
Spread: Clippers +6.5 vs. Pelicans -6
Moneyline: Clippers +222 vs. Pelicans -250
Total over and under: Clippers O 215.5 vs. Pelicans U 217.5
LA Clippers vs New Orleans Pelicans preview
Before entering this back-to-back matchup, the Clippers faced consecutive defeats against formidable opponents. Their losses came against the Milwaukee Bucks and the Minnesota Timberwolves, both prominent teams in the league.
The Clippers are striving to maintain their hold on the fourth spot in the Western Conference standings, aiming to secure home-court advantage for the initial round of the playoffs.
James Harden's absence was confirmed for the Chicago game, while Russell Westbrook remains sidelined due to injury. Despite these setbacks, the Clippers boast the presence of their leading scorer, Kawhi Leonard, who has been instrumental for the team, averaging 23.7 points per game along with 6.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
Paul George ranks second in scoring for the Clippers, averaging 22.1 points per game, and he also leads the team in 3-point shooting with an average of 3.2 made threes per game.
Ivica Zubac holds the starting role inside, contributing 11.6 points per game and securing an impressive 9.2 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Terance Mann adds athleticism to the team's perimeter, starting as a wing defender and averaging 8.2 points per game.
The New Orleans Pelicans find themselves in a tight race as they aim to climb up the standings to secure the coveted fourth spot in the playoffs while simultaneously aiming to create a gap between themselves and the Play-In Tournament.
With the Clippers holding a 2.5-game lead over them in the standings, the Pelicans are also under pressure as they are just one game ahead of the Phoenix Suns, who currently occupy the seventh spot in the West.
Despite a recent four-game winning streak, the Pelicans faced a setback in their last outing against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who received a boost from the return of Donovan Mitchell.
LA Clippers vs New Orleans starting lineups and rotations
The Clippers have James Harden tagged as uncertain, if he doesn't play then Bones Hyland will get the start as PG, Terance Mann at SG, Paul George at SF, Kawhi Leonard at PF and Ivica Zubac at center.
The Pelicans will start CJ McCollum at PG, Brandon Ingram at SG, Herbert Jones at SF, Zion Williamson at PF and Jonas Valanciunas at center.
Bones Hyland has played in the minutes that James Harden spends on the bench, replacing him at the end of the first quarter, the start of the second, and similarly in the second half, playing the end of the third and the start of the fourth.
Meanwhile, during the start of the second and fourth quarters, Amir Coffey steps in to replace Kawhi Leonard.
Trey Murphy comes in for Zion Williamson in the middle of the first quarter and the third quarter, while Jose Alvarado comes in for CJ McCollum at the end of the first till the four-minute mark of the second quarter and then again at the end of the third to the eight-minute mark of the fourth.
LA Clippers vs New Orleans betting tips
Kawhi Leonard has averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists with 1.7 steals and 0.8 blocks. His block prop is set at over/under 0.5 and is not favored to cross or reach this mark.
Paul George has averaged 22.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists with 1.5 steals and 0.4 blocks. His steal prop is set at over/under 1.5 and is favored to cross or reach this mark at +130.
Zion Williamson has averaged 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.1 assists with 0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks. Despite this, his block prop is set at an over/under of 0.5. Interestingly, he is not favored to surpass this mark and is expected to fall short, with odds indicating a likelihood of going under at +145.
LA Clippers vs New Orleans predictions
The New Orleans Pelicans are heavily favored to win at home according to sportsbooks and betting lines. They are favored with a -6 point spread and -250 on the money line.
However, the Clippers are expected to cross the over mark set at 215.5, while the Pelicans are favored to go under 217.5.
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