| New Orleans Pelicans vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction 11/20/24 | |
| When: | Wednesday, November 20, 2024 at 7:30 pm |
| Where: | Rocket Mortgage Center in Cleveland, OH, USA |
| TV: | NBA TV |
| New Orleans Pelicans Odds: | +13.5 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers Odds: | -13.5 |
| Over/Under | 221.5 |
The best team currently in the NBA will be facing the second-worst of the West, as the Cleveland Cavaliers are hosting the New Orleans Pelicans. The Cavaliers are one of the four teams in the history of the NBA to start with a 15-0 record, but they are in a bad situational spot, as they are on the second leg of a back-to-back, playing last night in Boston then having to travel back home. On the other hand, the Pelicans are not a force to be feared this season, especially on the road, where they haven’t covered in any of their games.
Below is a detailed analysis for New Orleans Pelicans vs Cleveland Cavaliers game.
New Orleans Pelicans vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction
Cleveland Cavaliers Injury Report: Sam Merrill and Max Strus are out
New Orleans Pelicans Injury Report: Zion Williamson, Jordan Hawkins, CJ McCollum, Herb Jones and Dejounte Murray are out for the Pelicans
Cleveland Cavaliers Recent Form and Trends
The Cavaliers have a perfect 15-0 record this season and are sitting on the first place of the East. They are 11-4 against the spread and 10-5 in over/under. Cleveland has a 7-0 road record, and 5-2 against the spread with a +11.3-point differential. The Cavaliers are 0-2 against the spread in their last two road games. Over is 3-0 in their last 3 games.
The Cavaliers are coming off a 128-114 win over the Hornets, even without Donovan Mitchell in the lineup, as he was out due to rest. The Cavs where red-hot in this one, shooting with 57% from the field and a near-perfect 96% from the free throw line. They had four players with 20+ points, led by Darius Garland with 25, adding 5 rebounds and a team-high 12 assists.
Donovan Mitchell leads the Cavaliers in scoring with 24.6 points, adding 4.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. Darius Garland adds 21.4 points and a team-high 7 assists per game.
New Orleans Pelicans Recent Form and Trends
The Pelicans have a 4-10 record this season and are sitting on the second to last place of the West. New Orleans is 4-10 against the spread and 7-7 in over/under. The Pelicans are 1-5 on the road and 0-6 against the spread, with a -16.3-point differential. Pels are 1-7 in their last 8 games, and 2-6 against the spread in their last 8. Under is 3-0 in their last 3 games.
The Pelicans are coming off a 99-104 loss to the Lakers, even though they shot better from the field (46% to 44%). They also shot better from downtown (40% to 31%), but they have been ravaged by injuries and used only seven players in this game. Brandon Ingram led the Pelicans’ offense with a game-high 32 points, adding 4 rebounds and a team-high 8 assists.
Brandon Ingram leads the Pels in scoring with 23.6 points, adding 6 rebounds and 5.4 assists. Zion Williamson adds 22.7 points, 8 rebounds and 5.3 assists but he is out with an injury.
Statistical Breakdown
Offensively, the Cavaliers lead the league with 123.7 points per game. The Cavs boast the best percentages both in field goals, with 52.4%, and in 3-pointers, with 41.9%. Defensively, they rank 10th in the NBA, allowing 111.4 points per game. The Cavaliers have the best offensive rating in the league with 122.1, and are 7th in defensive rating with 110.7.
Offensively, the Pels average 107 points per game, which is just 25th in the NBA. They shoot 44.5% from the field (22nd) and 35.9% from beyond the arc (12th). Defensively, the Pels allow 116.5 points per game, which is just 23rd in the league. New Orleans is just 26th in offensive rating in the NBA with 108.3, and have the third-worst defensive rating with 117.2.
In their previous meeting earlier this season, the Cavaliers won on the road, 131-122. The Cavs are 5-1 in their last 6 meetings against the Pelicans, and are 4-1 against the spread. Over is 3-1 in their last 4 meetings.
Prediction
In this New Orleans Pelicans vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction, the Cleveland are coming as -13.5 home favorites, and rightfully so. Even on the second leg of a back-to-back, you cannot fade the Cavaliers against a team as bad as the Pelicans. Even without rest and when some of their players are missing, this Cavs team finds a way to win in an emphatic way. The Pelicans have showed signs of life, but that was in their previous two home games. On the road, they having the worst point differential in the NBA, losing by 16.3 points on average. Take the Cleveland Cavaliers to get the job done at home today.
Nick’s Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers -13.5