The Los Angeles Clippers (21-12) travel to face off against the New Orleans Pelicans (21-14) on Friday, January 5th. This game will be played at Smoothie King Center. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.

Clippers vs Pelicans

The Clippers Are Coming Off A Win

In their most recent game, the Clippers took down the Suns by a score of 131-122. The Clippers not only secured a straight-up victory in this game but also covered the spread as -4-point favorites. Before the game, the over/under line was 230.5 points, and both teams ended up surpassing that mark.

Coming into today’s game against the Pelicans, the Clippers have an above .500 record of 21-12. In the Western Conference, they are currently in 4th place and are leading the Pacific division.

Los Angeles is currently performing above .500 against the spread with an ATS record of 17-16. This season, Los Angeles has a 16-10 record against the spread when they are the favorites, and they are 1-6 as underdogs.

The Pelicans Are Coming Off A Win

Zion Williamson led New Orleans with 27 points against the Timberwolves, the highest on the team. He finished with a field goal percentage of 55.6% in the game. As the Pelicans secured the victory with a final score of 117-106, CJ McCollum also chipped in with 24 points.

Coming into today’s game, the Pelicans have won four straight games and have an overall record of 21-14. At home, they are 12-7 and on the road, they are 9-7.

New Orleans currently has an ATS record of 20-15, placing them above .500 against the spread. New Orleans has gone 10-10 against the spread this season when they are the favorites, and they are 10-5 when playing as underdogs.

Clippers Offense Breakdown

The Clippers come into today’s game as one of the better scoring teams in the NBA at 117.2 points per game (10th). Coming into today’s game, the Clippers will be looking to improve their 3-point shooting numbers, as they are averaging just 12.7 made 3’s per game. Although Los Angeles has struggled with their outside shot, they have done a good job taking care of the ball, averaging just 12.6 turnovers per game.

Pelicans Offense Breakdown

For the season, the New Orleans offense is the 12th ranked unit in the NBA, at 115.9 points per contest. So far, the Pelicans are averaging 98.7 possessions per game, which places them below the NBA average. Even though the team has preferred to play at a slower pace, their effective field goal percentage of 55% has helped them with their overall scoring numbers.

Clippers Team Defense

Currently, the Clippers’ defense holds the 11th rank in the NBA, allowing 112.2 points per game. When it comes to defending inside the arc, the Clippers squad is permitting opposing teams to shoot at a clip of 53.3% inside the arc, and they’re also giving up 35.1% from downtown.

Pelicans Team Defense

Coming into today’s game, the Pelicans’ defense is giving up an average of 112.0 points per contest. The New Orleans defense has allowed opponents to shoot 33.5% from beyond the arc this season. Opposing teams are also hitting 46.0% of their field goal attempts vs. New Orleans.

Key Players For The Clippers And Pelicans

In today’s game, our projections have Kawhi Leonard leading the Clippers with 24 points on 9/17 shooting from the field. For the season, he has been averaging 24.6 points per game, in addition to 6 rebounds.

On the opposing side, we anticipate Brandon Ingram to be the top scorer for the Pelicans. Our projection has him finishing the game with 24, and he is expected to secure 5 rebounds. This season, he has put together a field goal percentage of 50.5%, and he is contributing 22.8 points per game on average.

Clippers vs Pelicans Trends

• In their last three road games, Los Angeles has averaged 122 points per game while allowing 122. The team’s record in this stretch was 2-1 while going 2-1 vs. the spread.
• In their last three home games, New Orleans has averaged 128 points per game while allowing 106. The team’s record in this stretch was 3-0 while going 3-0 vs. the spread.
• New Orleans has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 4-1 SU and 4-1 ATS in their last five games.
• Through their last three games as the favorite, the Clippers have an ATS record of 3-0 and a straight up mark of 3-0.

Clippers vs Pelicans Prediction

For today’s matchup we are recommending to take the Clippers to secure the win, with an expected final score of 116-112. When it comes to the spread, we believe they’ll cover at -1.

As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 229, and our model projects the Clippers and Pelicans to reach a combined total of 228 points. Our bet is on taking the under.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.