The New Orleans Pelicans (42-27) travel to face off against the Miami Heat (38-31) on Friday, March 22nd. This game will be played at Kaseya Center in Miami and televised on NBA. The Heat are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Pelicans are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Cavaliers. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.

Pelicans vs Heat

The Pelicans Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Pelicans were defeated by the Magic in the most recent game, concluding with a score of 121-106. Besides losing the game outright, the Pelicans also fell short against the spread, failing to cover as -2.5 point favorites. The over/under line heading into this matchup was 207.5 points in which the two teams surpassed.

In their most recent five games, the Pelicans are 3-2 and have an overall record of 42-27. When playing away from home, they are 22-14 compared to 20-13 at home.

New Orleans currently has an ATS record of 38-30, placing them above .500 against the spread. New Orleans has covered the spread in two consecutive home games, while maintaining an ATS record of 19-14 at home as opposed to 19-16 on the road.

The Heat Are Coming Off A Win

In their most recent game, the Heat took down the Cavaliers by a score of 107-104. the Heat entered the second half with an advantage, leading with 61-57.

Across their 69 games, the Heat have a 38-31 record overall and have gone 2-1 in their last three games. In Eastern Conference play, they are 26-18 compared to 12-13 in non-conference games.

Miami comes in with an overall ATS record of 32-34 so far this season. Miami has gone 16-19 against the spread this season when they are the favorites, and they are 16-15 when playing as underdogs.

Pelicans Offense Breakdown

In 69 games games, New Orleans has an average of 115.8 points per game (13th).

So far this season, the Pelicans have been a top-10 offensive team in terms of field goal percentage at 48%. They are also 8th in three-point shooting at 37%.

New Orleans is 13th in the NBA in scoring at 115.8 points per game. On the road, they are averaging 115.1 points per game.

When it comes to pace, the Pelicans are 17th in the league at 97.6 possessions per game.

Heat Offense Breakdown

In 69 games games, Miami has an average of 109.7 points per game (27th).

At home, the Heat are averaging 112.7 points per game, which is 22nd in the NBA. Overall, they are 27th in scoring at 109.7 points per game. In terms of pace, Miami is 29th in the league at 95.8 possessions per game.

When it comes to three-point shooting, the Heat are 10th in the NBA at 37%. They are also 23rd in field goal percentage overall at 46%. In terms of two-point shooting, Miami is 28th in the league.

So far this season, the Heat have outscored the NBA scoring average in just 36.2% of their games. At home, they have scored less than their average in eight straight games.

Pelicans Team Defense

So far, the Pelicans’ defense is ranked 8th in the league at 110.9 points per contest. On two point field goal attempts, the Pelicans’ defensive unit is allowing a field goal percentage of 55.1% and allowing 34.6% from beyond the arc.

Heat Team Defense

So far this season, the Heat defense has been performing well, ranking 4th in the NBA at 109.2 points allowed per contest. When it comes to forced turnovers, the Heat are forcing 11.9 per game, which is 6th in the league. They also come into the game sitting 30th in blocked shots at 3.4 per game.

Key Players For The Pelicans And Heat

The outlook for today’s matchup points to Zion Williamson as the primary point contributor for the Pelicans, finishing with 22 points while maintaining a 9/15 shooting accuracy. For the season, he has been averaging 22.7 points per game, in addition to 5.8 rebounds.

On the other side, Jimmy Butler is our projected leading scorer for the Heat. We have him ending the game with a team-high 20 and grabbing 5 rebounds. This season, he is shooting at a field goal percentage of 50.2%, and his scoring average is 21.6 points per game.

Pelicans vs Heat Trends

• Through their last ten road games, New Orleans has an ATS record of just 5-4-1. However, their overall record was 7-3 while averaging 110 points per game.
• When looking at their past five home matchups, Miami has an ATS record of 3-2 while averaging 102 per game. The team went 3-2 overall in these games.
• Going back to their previous five games as the underdog, New Orleans has an ATS mark of 3-2 while going 2-3 straight up.
• Against the spread, the Heat have put together 1-2 in their last three games as the betting favorite. In these same games, they went 2-1 straight up.

Pelicans vs Heat Prediction

When looking to get a point-spread pick down in this Pelicans vs. Heat game, our recommendation is to take the Pelicans at +3.5. Despite our model showing the Heat winning 114-112, we like Pelicans as our point-spread pick.

Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 205.5, and our model predicts the Pelicans and Heat to score a combined 226 points. We recommend betting on the over.

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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.