In the Western Conference, the final game of the NBA Play-In Tournament pits the New Orleans Pelicans against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers will host this game as the eighth seed in the Western Conference, after falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, while the Pelicans come in after a home win over the San Antonio Spurs. In our NBA predictions for Friday night, we look at the Pelicans vs Clippers matchup that will decide who the last team in the playoff field will be.
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Pelicans vs Clippers Betting Pick
This game will be played at 10:00 PM ET at Crypto.com Arena on Friday, April 15, 2022.
Why Bet The Clippers:
✅ Home teams have yet to lose in the Play-In Tournament so far, with all four home teams winning in the first set of games. While that does not guarantee that the Clippers will win here, the Clippers are an impressive 25-16 at home this season. They will continue to play well at Crypto.com Arena and advance to the first round of the playoffs to face the Phoenix Suns.
✅ Unlike the San Antonio Spurs, the Clippers should have an answer for Brandon Ingram defensively. Paul George, despite battling injuries this season, is still a quality perimeter defender and should be able to make Ingram work for his points. That will force the Pelicans to rely too heavily on CJ McCollum, to the detriment of New Orleans.
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✅ While it did not help them on the road against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, the Clippers have a huge edge in the experience department. Their players were part of a team that made the conference finals a season ago, while Ty Lue has championship experience of his own. Compared to the Pelicans, who have not played a road game with stakes this high with this current group, the Clippers should have an advantage.
New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans were impressive in their Play-In Tournament debut, beating the San Antonio Spurs 113-103 to get to Friday’s play-in finale. New Orleans shot 54% from the field, led by CJ McCollum who scored 32 points to lead the Pelicans to victory. They had five players score in double figures, with McCollum, Brandon Ingram, and Jonas Valanciunas combining for 81 points.
Against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Pelicans are going to need more than the contributions of their top-three players to advance to the first round of the playoffs. Ingram has a tough matchup against Paul George, and Ivica Zubac will challenge Valanciunas throughout this contest. It will take a big game from someone like Jose Alvarado or Herb Jones to propel the Pelicans to a win.
Los Angeles Clippers
After falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Los Angeles Clippers have one last chance to make it into the playoff field of 16. They had a substantial lead in the fourth quarter against the Timberwolves on Wednesday, but could not get a stop down the stretch despite Karl-Anthony Towns fouling out with plenty of time left in the game. Now the Clippers will look to take advantage of a home game against a lower seeded opponent to set up a series with the Phoenix Suns.
For the Clippers, three-point shooting is likely to decide how this game goes for them. They shot 45% from three-point range against the Timberwolves, but could not buy a made three down the stretch when they really needed one. Against a softer New Orleans defense, on their home floor, the Clippers will need timely shooting to go along with their full-game efficiency.