Cavaliers vs. Pelicans: NBA odds, Picks and Predictions
Cavaliers vs. Pelicans Odds
| Cavaliers Odds | -3 |
| Pelicans Odds | +3 |
| Over/Under | 222.5 |
| Date | Thu, Feb. 10 |
| Time | 10:00 p.m. |
| TV | ESPN |
On Thursday, the New Orleans Pelicans will host the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Smoothie King Center. Entering play, New Orleans (29-27) owns the seventh-best record in the Western Conference. Following four consecutive wins, Cleveland (35-22) owns the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference. In this matchup, oddsmakers are expecting a Cavaliers victory, pricing Cleveland as 3-point road favorites on the spread.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Mitchell and Garland back in the lineup
Neither Donovan Mitchell nor Darius Garland are on tonight’s injury report ahead of tip-off against the Pelicans. On the season, Mitchell is averaging a team-best 26.8 points per game, followed by Garland’s 22.0 points per game as the only two members on the roster averaging north of “(player-popup #evan-mobley)Evan Mobley”:/players/evan-mobley-3005190’s 15.4 points.
In 46 games this season with Mitchell on the floor, Cleveland is 30-16, compared to a 5-6 record in his absence. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Cavaliers rank in the 69th percentile in offensive efficiency and the 87th percentile in defensive efficiency with Mitchell on the court this year.
Road woes behind them?
Though Cleveland remains an underwhelming 12-16 on the road this year, there are signs indicating that they are making improvements in these spots. After consecutive victories against the Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards in the past week, the Cavaliers now own the second-best Net Rating of any team in the league outside of their home gym – outscoring their opponents by 2.4 points per 100 possessions.
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New Orleans Pelicans
Williamson OUT again
Since Zion Williamson last played on January 2, New Orleans is 6-13 overall and ranks 24th out of 30 teams in Net Rating. Since Brandon Ingram returned to the floor on January 25, the Pelicans have improved slightly in Net Rating, but are still only 2-4 overall.
In that span, New Orleans ranks 15th in offensive efficiency and 20th in defensive efficiency. In four home games since Ingram returned to action, the Pelicans have wins against the Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Lakers, but they have lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Washington Wizards.
What to expect from New Orleans
Per CourtIQ, when Williamson is off of the floor this year, C.J. McCollum (+2.7%) and Brandon Ingram (+2.0%) see the largest increase in usage of any players on the roster. In these situations, McCollum is averaging 24.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per 36 minutes of action. Ingram is averaging 25.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per 36 minutes.
Cavaliers vs. Pelicans – Picks & Predictions
A quick look at the standings makes it appear as though Cleveland is inept on the road, but a deeper dive into the analytics reveals that the Cavaliers have been one of the league’s best teams away from home – even if the results have not consistently led to wins.
Per Cleaning the Glass, New Orleans ranks in the 41st percentile in offensive efficiency and the 50th percentile in defensive efficiency this year with Williamson off of the floor. Expect Cleveland to take advantage of Williamson’s absence, and for them to come away with a victory in this spot as road favorites.
PICK: Cavaliers -3 (-110, FanDuel)
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