Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New Orleans Pelicans Preview
Where: Smoothie King Center — New Orleans, Louisiana
When: Monday, January 23, 2017 – 8:00 PM ET
Line: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New Orleans Pelicans – view all NBA lines
NBA News & Predictions
- 2017 NBA Draft Expert Picks and Predictions
- 2017 NBA Draft Sleepers
- 2017-18 NBA Championship Odds Update
Betting on the Cleveland Cavaliers (30-12)
2017 is continuing to be ugly for the Cavaliers, as the team is only 5-5 since the year began. During that stretch, they had four games where they shot below 38 percent, while also allowing eight teams to score more than their respective averages.
In Saturday’s loss, the defending champs’ best efforts were no match for Kawhi Leonard, who had a career-high 41 points in leading the San Antonio Spurs to a 118-115 OT victory.
Considering that the Pelicans aren’t exactly a strong threat to the elite squads, the upcoming matchup should be a game that will allow the Cavs to gain back some momentum moving forward. They beat the Pels just three weeks ago, 90-82, where LeBron James powered a fourth quarter rally and had a game-high 26 points, along with seven rebounds and six assists.
Looking at the career averages of the Cavs’ big three versus their opponents on Wednesday, all can be assumed to do well:
- LeBron James – 26.2 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 7.4 APG on 50.2 percent shooting
- Kyrie Irving – 24.4 PPG, 6.3 APG
- Kevin Love – 19 PPG, 10.9 RPG
Since the trio’s formation in 2014, Cleveland is 3-2 against New Orleans (2-3 ATS).
Betting on the New Orleans Pelicans (17-27)
The Pelicans would probably make awful dancers, simply because they have zero rhythm. For the second time this season, they followed up a four consecutive victories with mediocre performances (3-6 in their last nine). Stitching together winning streaks are quite important since it’s not hard to enter this year’s West playoff picture, with current eighth seed Denver Nuggets only owning an 18-24 card.
Friday’s 143-114 loss was an embarrassment, as they allowed the last-placed Brooklyn Nets to record season-highs in points and field goal percentage (57.8 percent). Additionally, eight Nets were in double figures.
Despite having scoring, rebounding, and blocking machine Anthony Davis on their side (28.6 PPG, 12 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 2.4 BPG), giving quality offense and defense has been a tall hurdle for the Pelicans. They are dead-last in boards (44.4 RPG), 21st in points (102.8 PPG) and points allowed (105.7 PPG), and 29th in offensive efficiency.
In the aforementioned defeat to the Cavaliers, they held James and company to just 37.8-percent shooting; the problem is they shot worse (36.4 percent).
The Pelicans are 5-2 in their last seven games at home (4-3 ATS).
Writer’s Prediction
The Cavaliers win, 113-108.
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