Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New Orleans Pelicans Spread, Line, Odds, Predictions, Picks, and Betting Preview for NBA Basketball Game

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New Orleans Pelicans Game Information

Cleveland Cavaliers (14-22) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (15-22)

Date: 3/12/21

Time: 8:00 p.m. ET

Venue: Smoothie King Center

TV Coverage: NBA League Pass, Fox Sports Ohio, Fox Sports New Orleans

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New Orleans Pelicans Moneyline, Spread, Total, and Odds

Moneyline: (Open: Cavaliers +270 / Pelicans -335) (Current: Cavaliers +240 / Pelicans -295)

Spread: (Open: Pelicans -8) (Current: Pelicans -7)

Total: (Open: 226.5) (Current: 228.5)

NBA Championship Odds: Cavaliers +25000 / Pelicans +16000

Odds courtesy of Fanduel Sportsbook. Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook today and get your first bet risk-free for up to $1,000!

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New Orleans Pelicans News and Notes

Cleveland lists four players on their injury report: Kevin Love (calf), Matthew Dellavedova (abdomen), and Darius Garland (groin) will all be game-time decisions, while Andre Drummond (not injury-related) has been ruled out.

New Orleans lists two players on their injury report: Will Magnay (leg) will be a game-time decision while J.J. Redick (heel) has been ruled out.

Notable Trends

• Cleveland is on a 5-0 ATS run.
• The total is 7-0 to the over in the Pelicans’ last seven games when facing a team with a win percentage below .400.
• The total is 8-1 to the over in their last nine meetings in New Orleans.
• The total is 5-2 to the over in their last seven meetings.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New Orleans Pelicans Predictions and Picks

It appears there is a slight shift in strategy from the Pelicans team we see on the court when they’re at home and the Pelicans team we see when they’re on the road. All you have to do to reach that conclusion is observe their possessions per game. New Orleans is averaging 103.7 possessions per game when they’re at home, whereas they’re averaging 101.1 possessions per game on the road. And if you haven’t been paying attention, Pelicans’ games have gone over the total 73% of the time, which is the highest in the league.

When you break down their 27-10 over/under record, you’ll find that they 17-3 (85%) to the over when then they play at home vs. 10-7 (58.8%) to the over when they’re on the road. The difference in terms of the pace or tempo of how New Orleans plays at home vs. on the road is a clear determinant in their over/under splits.

The Pelicans are the fifth-youngest team in the league, with an average age of 25.1 years old. Considering their win-loss record is 15-22, they’re also not a very good team. This team is still learning how to win ball games, but it’s clear to see that the effort is there when they play games at home. In fact, New Orleans has a .500 record (10-10) at home, but they’re just 5-12 away from the Smoothie Center.

With the fans back in the building across the NBA, there’s also an extra motivation for teams to play a more uptempo, fan-friendly play style. I think those theories will continue to hold tonight against a Cavaliers team who does play at a faster pace when they’re on the road, as evidenced by their 102.9 possessions per game vs. 101.5 when they’re at home.

The recent head-to-head trends in this matchup are also lean towards the over, with eight of the last nine meetings in New Orleans going over the total. We’ve also seen some sharp money come in on the over to push the total to 228.5 after opening at 226.5.

Sum it all up, and the over is certainly worth a look in this spot.

The Pick: Over 228.5