NBA Odds: Pelicans (even)
The Miami Heat (25-31) visit New Orleans to take on the Pelicans (30-27) in what should be a low-scoring game. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Friday, Feb. 27 and can be seen on ESPN and Sun Sports.
The Pelicans played well in their last game, topping the Nets 102-96 on Wednesday. Quincy Pondexter was the game’s leading scorer with 25 points on 9-for-13 shooting. The Heat, meanwhile, are coming off a 93-90 win against the Magic on Wednesday. Luol Deng was the team’s top scorer, registering 21 points on 8-for-14 shooting.
Half-court execution will be of utmost importance when two of the NBA’s slowest-paced teams square off. New Orleans ranks 27th in the league in possessions per game (94.6), while Miami is 30th (92.4).
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Pelicans winning the first matchup 105-91. Eric Gordon was the game’s top overall scorer with 24 points.
The odds for New Orleans and Miami are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable as of now. The Pelicans have gone 30-27 Straight Up (SU) and 33-24 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 11-13 SU and 13-11 ATS against the Eastern Conference. New Orleans’s three-point defense can be considered one of the best in the league, allowing just 6.8 three-pointers per game.
In the other locker room, the Heat have 25-31 SU and 24-29-3 ATS records. Against the Western Conference, Miami is 7-15 SU and 8-13-1 ATS. Miami’s defense allows just 96.7 points per game, ranking them fourth in the league.
In their previous meeting this season, New Orleans beat Miami, but the win was not enough for them to overtake Miami in the recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 4-6 SU over the most recent 10 meetings. On the other hand, the Pelicans hold the advantage ATS with a record of 5-4-1. Miami held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once, while New Orleans was never able to do so in their most recent 10 games.
Predictions: SU Winner – NO, ATS Winner – NO
Notes
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Orleans’s last 6 games.
New Orleans is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home.
New Orleans is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games at home.
New Orleans is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 7 of New Orleans’s last 8 games at home.
New Orleans is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Miami.
New Orleans is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Miami.
New Orleans is 12-4-2 ATS in its last 18 games when playing Miami.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Orleans’s last 6 games when playing Miami.
The total has gone OVER in 9 of New Orleans’s last 11 games when playing at home against Miami.
New Orleans is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Miami.
New Orleans is 10-2-1 ATS in its last 13 games when playing at home against Miami.
New Orleans puts up an average of 99.7 points per game (ranked 17th), while Miami allows 96.7 points per game (ranked fourth).
The New Orleans Pelicans score 102.8 points per home game this season. However, Miami is the top-ranked team in points allowed on the road, giving up just 95.6 per game.
The Miami Heat won their last game by a three-point margin. In games decided by a margin of three points or less, the New Orleans Pelicans are 6-2. Miami is 4-4 in close games this season.
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Miami Heat are a solid 23-10. In games where they score fewer than 100 points, the New Orleans Pelicans have an abysmal record of 6-20.
The Miami Heat have an underachieving 2-21 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The New Orleans Pelicans are 24-7 when they hit the century mark.
The Pelicans have a defensive rating of 105.1 (ranked 26th), while the Heat rank 18th for their offensive rating of 101.3.
New Orleans has an average field goal percentage of 45.4%. Miami is a subpar 6-21 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
On average, the New Orleans Pelicans attempt 19.2 three point field goals per game and the Miami Heat attempt 20.4 per game. In games where they attempt at least 25 threes, New Orleans has a poor record of 3-5, while Miami is 4-5.
New Orleans has an assist to turnover ratio of 1.73 this season (ranked ninth), while Miami ranks lower at 23rd with an A/TO of 1.47.
The Miami Heat are one of the worst rebounding teams in the league with just 38.4 per game. Ranked 10th, the New Orleans Pelicans average 44.0 rebounds.
The Miami Heat rank 29th in offensive rebounding, while the New Orleans Pelicans rank 18th in defensive rebounding.
Miami has forced one of the highest average turnover rates this season with 15.0% (ranked 10th). In games where their turnover rate is 15.0% or higher, New Orleans is an even 8-8.
