New Orleans Pelicans vs Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Pick & Prediction 11/20/24

In a non-conference matchup, the New Orleans Pelicans (4-11) will travel to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers (15-1) at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 ET, and the game will be televised on Gulf.

Cleveland is currently favored by 13.5 points, and the over/under line is set at 221.5. The Pelicans are 14th in the Western Conference and have lost two in a row, while the Cavaliers are the top team in the East.

NEW ORLEANS PELICANS VS CLEVELAND CAVALIERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers -13.5

This game will be played at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse at 7:30 ET on Wednesday, November 20th.

WHY BET THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 105-74 in favor of the Cavaliers.
  • Our projections have Donovan Mitchell finishing with Donovan Mitchell points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
  • From the field, we have the Cavaliers finishing with a field goal percentage of 50.0% and knocking down 11 threes.

Can the Pelicans Pull Out the Win as Road Underdogs?

The Pelicans fell to 4-11 on the season after a 132-91 loss to the Mavericks on Tuesday. New Orleans, who entered the game as +13 point underdogs, failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game ended at 223, just over the pre-game line of 222.

Dallas jumped out to a big lead early, going on an 11-0 run to start the game. New Orleans managed to slow things down in the 2nd quarter, outscoring the Mavericks 22-19, but Dallas pulled away again in the 3rd and 4th quarters, outscoring the Pelicans 69-40 in the 2nd half.

In their 132-91 loss to the Mavericks, the Pelicans shot just 39.7% from the field, with a 34.4% mark from beyond the arc, hitting 11 threes. Trey Murphy III led the way with 19 points, shooting 38.5% and hitting 2 threes at 28.6%.

Brandon Ingram added 17 points, connecting on 2 threes at 50% efficiency. Javonte Green contributed 14 points, shooting 55.6% from the field, while Jeremiah Robinson-Earl scored 11, with 8 of his points coming in the opening quarter.

The Pelicans gave up 132 points to the Mavericks on Tuesday, including a 44-point 1st quarter. They tightened up in the 2nd, allowing just 19 points, but struggled again in the 3rd and 4th, giving up 34 and 35 points, respectively.

Defensively, New Orleans allowed Dallas to shoot 52% from the field, including 45% from three-point range, where the Mavericks hit 14 threes. The Pelicans also sent Dallas to the line 25 times, where they made 20 free throws. New Orleans finished with 9 steals and 4 blocks.

Will the Cleveland Defense Show Up at Home?

The Cavaliers dropped to 15-1 on the season after a 120-117 road loss to the Celtics on Tuesday. Cleveland entered the game as +7.5 point underdogs but managed to cover the spread, losing by just three points. The total score of 237 points narrowly went over the pre-game line of 234.5.

After trailing 65-48 at halftime, Cleveland mounted a comeback by outscoring Boston 40-28 in the third quarter. They entered the fourth quarter down 93-88 but couldn’t complete the comeback, as the Celtics edged them 27-29 in the final period.

Donovan Mitchell poured in 18 of his 35 points in the 4th quarter, but the Cavaliers fell short against the Celtics. Evan Mobley added 14 of his 22 points in the 3rd, and Craig Porter contributed 15 points, hitting 3 threes at 100% efficiency.

The Cavs shot 49.5% from the field, but struggled from beyond the arc, making just 10 threes at a 34.5% rate. Mitchell connected on 3 threes, shooting 27.3% from deep.

Defensively, the Cavaliers struggled in the 2nd quarter, allowing 39 points, which contributed to their 120-117 loss to the Celtics. Cleveland gave up 22 threes on 53% shooting from beyond the arc.

The Cavaliers sent Boston to the line 14 times, where they made 10 free throws. Cleveland finished with 29 defensive rebounds, while giving up 9 offensive boards, and recorded 4 steals and 3 blocks.