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The New Orleans Pelicans take on the Miami Heat on Sunday (January 22) at the FTX Arena in NBA Regular Season action.
The Pelicans are currently in 4th place in the Western Conference standings with an overall record of 26-20, but have tailed off significantly. They come into this game on the back of a miserable 3-game losing streak. They lost their last game 110-123 against the struggling Orlando Magic side, loitering around the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.
The Pelicans rank second in steals in the NBA this season, averaging 8.5 a night. Ever since the injury to Zion, the Pels have fielded a lineup with Williamson and Brandon Ingram over the last nine games. Out of those nine, they have only managed to win three, highlighting the importance of their star men.
The Heat have been quite dominant over the last few games, winning four of their last six, although they lost their last game 90-115 against the Mavs. They are now up to a 25-22 overall record and are the 6th seed in the East.
The Heat have been extremely reliant on their defensive structure, allowing the fewest offensive rebounds in the entire NBA. They also rank seventh for overall rebounds per game while having the third-most steals per game.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Miami Heat Match Details
Fixture: New Orleans Pelicans @ Miami Heat
Date & Time: Sunday, January 22, 3:30 p.m. EST
Venue: FTX Arena, Miami, Florida
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Miami Heat Injury Report
The aforementioned injuries to Zion and Ingram are the only notable absences in this game for either side.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Miami Heat Betting Odds & Spreads
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Miami Heat Starting 5s
Pelicans: PG CJ McCollum SG Dyson Daniels SF Herbert Jones PF Trey Murphy C Jonas Valanciunas
Heat: PG Kyle Lowry SG Tyler Herro SF Caleb Martin PF Jimmy Butler C Bam Adebayo
Pelicans vs. Heat Betting Prediction
Looking at the recent results for both teams, the Heat look much stronger overall. Their defense has been rock-solid recently and will feel very comfortable going up against an injury-riddled Pelicans offense.
Miami have been very strong at home this season winning 14 of their 23 games at the FTX Arena. The last time the two sides faced each other was not long ago where the Heat demolished the Pelicans with the scoreline of 124-98.
Heat: -8 (-110)
