Pelicans vs. Cavaliers Odds
| Cavaliers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Over/Under | Moneyline |
+6.5 -110 | 218 -110/-110 | +210 |
| Pelicans Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Over/Under | Moneyline |
-6.5 -110 | 218 -110/-110 | -258 |
Here's everything you need to know about Cavaliers vs. Pelicans on Wednesday, Mar. 13 at 8 p.m. ET — our expert prediction and betting picks for today's game.
The injured Cavaliers will travel to New Orleans to take on an extremely hot Pelicans team on Wednesday night.
Can the Cavs pull off the upset despite their injuries, or will the Pelicans protect their homecourt? Find my Cavaliers vs. Pelicans pick and prediction below.
Pick: Pelicans Team Total Over 112.5
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Cleveland Shorthanded Cavaliers Defend?
Pick: Pelicans Team Total Over 112.5
The Cavs will be without Max Strus, Evan Mobley and Dean Wade here while superstar Donovan Mitchell is questionable to return. Strus, Mobley and Wade are among the team's best defenders, and when all three have been off the court, the Cavs have struggled to get stops with a Defensive Rating of 123.2 on the season.
The Cavs will struggle defensively here regardless of whether Mitchell returns. They’ve struggled to get stops without their wings in the lineup, but their offense has remained elite in these scenarios with an Offensive Rating of 122.3 without Mobley, Strus and Wade.
I’d expect the Cavs defense to struggle here, but their offense should still remain competitive as they have plenty of spacers in Georges Niang, Sam Merrill and Craig Porter Jr. to fill in off the bench. If Mitchell returns and plays alongside Garland, it would be massive for the Cavs offense.
New Orleans Pelicans Are Surging
The Pelicans have been absolutely rolling lately and should have an edge on offense here against this Cavs team devoid of wings. The Pelicans are quietly fourth in Adjusted Net Rating on the season, according to dunksandthrees.com. They are also one of only three teams, along with the Celtics and Thunder, that rank in the top 10 in both Schedule-Adjusted Offense (10th) and Schedule-Adjusted Defense (fourth).
The Pelicans have gone 6-3 in their nine games since the All-Star Break and rank third in Net Rating (+12.3) over that span, buoyed by the top defense in the NBA with a Defensive Rating of 106.8 after the All-Star Break.
This should be an especially favorable matchup for their offense as Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram get to take on a Cavs team down their three best wing defenders.
The Cavs should have massive issues defending this big Pelicans team as they will likely have to play Niang, Merill and Caris LeVert major minutes here. All three of them are known for their offense and consistently get hunted by opposing offenses due to their defensive shortcomings. Expect the Pelicans to attack the rim and draw a lot of fouls against this undersized Cavs team here.
Cavaliers vs. Pelicans
Betting Pick & Prediction
I like the Pelicans Team Total Over 112.5 here as their offense is just too big for this version of the Cavs. This number is simply not accounting for the absences of all of the key Cavs defenders and should be closer to 120 than 110.
I would gladly grab over 112.5 and play this up to 115. If Mitchell is ruled in, I would definitely be willing to grab the full game total over 218 and play that up to 222 as well.
