Among Friday’s NBA action is an intra-conference matchup between a pair of young, up-and-coming teams. Dare we call this the latest installment of the “David Griffin Bowl” or simply another regular-season game? Either way, the Cleveland Cavaliers and New Orleans Pelicans will face off in the Big Easy this evening. The NBA betting oddsmakers view the home team as a solid favorite in advance of this contest.
Cavaliers vs Pelicans Game Info
Cleveland Cavaliers (14-22, 5-12 Away) at New Orleans Pelicans (15-22, 10-10 Home)
Date: Friday, Mar. 12, 2021
Start Time: 8 p.m. EST
Venue: Smoothie King Center — New Orleans, LA
Coverage: Fox Sports New Orleans, Fox Sports Ohio, NBA League Pass
Cavaliers vs Pelicans NBA Betting Odds
Odds courtesy of Bovada Sportsbook
Moneyline: CLE: (+255) | NOP: (-310)
Spread: CLE: +7 (-105) | NOP: -7 (-115)
Total: 228 — Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)
Cavaliers vs Pelicans NBA Betting Overview
Cavaliers Outlook
Tonight’s NBA betting matchup marks the first game back from the All-Star break for the Cavaliers. After a double-digit losing streak, Cleveland closed the first half of the season by winning four out of five games. One could argue that the Cavs got the steal of the James Harden mega deal earlier this season when they landed center Jarrett Allen. He has clearly been an upgrade over Andre Drummond, who remains inactive as the team shops him in trade talks.
With Kevin Love expected to be back in the near future, the Cleveland frontcourt will be one to watch. Ultimately, for the Cavaliers to build on their recent success, they have to become a better offensive team. They enter the second half of the NBA season ranked dead last in points per game.
Cavaliers Injury Report
- Out: Andre Drummond, Matthew Dellavadova (appendectomy)
- Questionable: Kevin Love (calf), Darius Garland (groin), Taurean Prince
Pelicans Outlook
It hasn’t been pretty for New Orleans of late as they come in having lost five of six. They’ll look to get back on track after a beatdown loss to the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves last night. Despite this being the second game of a back-to-back, the Pelicans find themselves as sizable NBA betting favorites ahead of this matchup. Despite their disappointing season and inconsistency, the Pelicans could still rally for a Western Conference playoff spot in the second half.
The franchise clearly has a generational talent in Zion Williamson. The future is bright when paired with dynamic scorer Brandon Ingram and whatever future lottery pick that the team drafts. New Orleans is also doing a nice job of developing players. Lonzo Ball’s improved game this season is perfect evidence for this claim. A big part of the Pelicans’ struggles this season has come on the defensive end. Their inability to get stops is a big reason why 27 out of 37 games for New Orleans this season have sailed over the NBA betting total.
Pelicans Injury Report
- Out: J.J. Reddick
Cavaliers vs Pelicans NBA Betting Trends
- Cavaliers 2020-21 Betting Trends: 15-21 ATS; 15-20-1 to the Over
- Pelicans 2020-21 Betting Trends: 15-22 ATS; 27-10 to the Over
- The Cavaliers are a perfect 5-0 ATS in their last five games.
- The Pelicans are just 2-5 ATS in their last seven home games against teams with a losing record.
- The last seven head-to-head meetings between the Cavaliers and Pelicans have gone over the total.
Cavaliers vs Pelicans Stats
- Cleveland is averaging 104.6 points per game (PPG) this season (No. 30 in the NBA)
- Cleveland is surrendering 112.1 PPG on the season (No. 16 in the NBA)
- New Orleans is averaging 115.2 PPG this season (Tied for No. 5 in the NBA)
- New Orleans is surrendering 116.4 PPG (No. 27 in the NBA)
Cavaliers vs Pelicans Prop Bet
Brandon Ingram Under 5 Rebounds (-114 at Bovada Sportsbook)
It was a rough night all around for Brandon Ingram in Thursday’s loss to the Timberwolves. The 23-year-old scored just 13 points on 5-14 shooting from the floor. He also only played 28 minutes given the blowout nature of the game. While the reduced playing time might’ve impacted his stats somewhat, I like Ingram to go under five total rebounds in tonight’s NBA betting matchup for more reasons than just last night.
Ingram has failed to exceed five total boards in each of the Pelicans’ last six games. He has only gone over tonight’s NBA betting prop line twice in the last ten. With the Cavaliers posing a talented frontcourt, I’m not convinced that rebounds will be easy to come by for any Pelicans players tonight’ let alone the skinny-framed Ingram. At worst, he gets five boards exactly resulting in a push. With this in mind, I’ll play under on this player prop.
