The Los Angeles Clippers (34-35) will visit the New Orleans Pelicans (24-46) in the NBA on Thursday night. Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m. ET from Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. The game will broadcast live on Gulf Coast Sports.
The Pelicans are 2.5-point favorites over the Clippers on the spread (Pelicans -2.5), with the over/under set at 230.5 total points. New Orleans is a -135 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Los Angeles is +114 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Clippers vs. Pelicans predictions and NBA picks for Thursday, March 19.
Clippers vs Pelicans Prediction, Picks
Clippers vs Pelicans pick: Under 230.5 (-110)
My Pelicans vs. Clippers best bet is Under 230.5 total points. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Los Angeles Clippers vs New Orleans Pelicans Odds
| Clippers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2.5 -110 | 230.5 -110o / -110u | +114 |
| Pelicans Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2.5 -110 | 230.5 -110o / -110u | -135 |
Clippers vs Pelicans NBA Thursday Preview
The Clippers will hope for a different result when they face the Pelicans for a second straight night. Los Angeles lost yesterday's meeting by a score of 124-109, extending its losing streak to three games.
As the eighth-place team in the conference standings, Los Angeles is practically a lock to feature in the play-in tournament, given it's 7.5 games behind Denver at No. 6 and nine games ahead of a Memphis team that's 11th in the West.
However, while one could surmise that the Clippers don't have a ton to play for, it wouldn't hurt to develop a bit of rhythm heading into the postseason.
Los Angeles was one of the more active teams at the trade deadline, opting to part with its second- and third-best players (James Harden and Ivica Zubac) in exchange for younger talent (Darius Garland, Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson) along with two first-round picks (2026, 2029) and a second-rounder (2028).
Interestingly, the Clippers made these moves at a time when they'd won 17 of their last 21 games—the best record in the NBA during that stretch. While Los Angeles hasn't been able to play at that same blistering pace, the team is still 11-9 since those trades.
As long as the Clippers have a healthy Kawhi Leonard, they still stand a chance to be competitive. In his 14th season, Leonard is averaging a career-best 28.3 points per game.
Los Angeles should have the veteran forward Nicolas Batum back on Thursday after he was given the night off in the first leg. Unfortunately, Mathurin isn't due back until next week as he recovers from a toe injury.
If we turn to the Pelicans, they've found a bit of form with back-to-back wins and victories in four of their previous five. A closer look reveals they have even won nine of their last 13 games. However, a 3-22 start to the campaign ended any chance of them having playoff aspirations.
Although some may point to Zion Williamson missing 18 games as the reason for the Pelicans' struggles, the team is still only 21-32 when he's been on the court this season.
One clear thing is that New Orleans ranks in the bottom third for both offensive (21st) and defensive (24th) efficiency. With those metrics all but confirming that the Pelicans aren't a very good team, it is surprising to see New Orleans as a 2.5-point favorite here, even at home.
The only plausible explanation is that the bookmakers anticipate Leonard will miss the game due to load management. Still, without an official NBA injury report, we won't know for certain.
Therefore, given the information currently at hand, a play on the total might be a better option than picking a side in this contest.
Clippers vs Pelicans Betting Predictions
Yesterday's matchup closed with a total of 238.5, and that number proved too high for both teams to go Over. Although the market total is only 230.5 tonight, that number still feels too high.
Historically, the Under (101-95-5) has been slightly more profitable when the same teams face one another in a back-to-back on short rest.
There's an aspect of familiarity between the teams that we should account for, and perhaps a fatigue factor that could affect the pace of the game and the effectiveness of both offenses.
But if we refine our parameters to include only games that went Under in the first meeting, our results improve to 54-42-3 or 56.2%.
After running the numbers, my model makes this total south of 230 points, making the Under a decent option in this spot.
Lastly, if we get some late-breaking news of an injury report that rules Leonard out for the game, our position on the Under will be even more valuable at the current number.
Clippers vs Pelicans Best Bet
- Under 230.5 (-110)
Clippers vs Pelicans Betting Trends
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