Clippers vs. Pelicans Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Tuesday, March 11

The Los Angeles Clippers have won three games in a row – but still remain in the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference – heading into their matchup on Tuesday night against the New Orleans Pelicans.

New Orleans is a home underdog in this contest, and it has dropped four games in a row after playing some solid basketball out of the All-Star break. The Pels will have Zion Williamson back in action on Tuesday after he sat out the second night of a back-to-back on Monday, but can they keep things close with a playoff hopeful in Los Angeles?

The Clippers are just 1.5 games back of the Golden State Warriors for the No. 6 seed, but the two teams ahead of them in the standings – Golden State and Minnesota – have both won five games in a row.

With Norman Powell still out of the lineup, the Clippers are going to need to lean on James Harden and Kawhi Leonard to carry the scoring load in this matchup.

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, players to bet on in the prop market and my prediction for Tuesday night’s contest.

Clippers vs. Pelicans Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

Clippers -7 (-110)
Pelicans +7 (-110)

Moneyline

Clippers: -285
Pelicans: +230

Total

223 (Over -110/Under -110)

Clippers vs. Pelicans How to Watch

Date: Tuesday, March 11
Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Smoothie King Center
How to Watch (TV): Bally Sports (Local), NBA League Pass
Clippers record: 35-29
Pelicans record: 17-48

Clippers vs. Pelicans Injury Reports

Clippers Injury Report

Norman Powell – out
Cam Christie – out
Trentyn Flowers – out
Patrick Baldwin Jr. – out
Ben Simmons – out
Seth Lundy – out

Pelicans Injury Report

Herb Jones – out
Dejounte Murray – out
Brandon Boston – out
Jose Alvarado – questionable
Kelly Olynyk – out
Lester Quinones – out

Clippers vs. Pelicans Best NBA Prop Bets

Los Angeles Clippers Best NBA Prop Bet

James Harden UNDER 9.5 Assists (-120)

James Harden is averaging 9.1 assists per game in 16 games since Feb. 1, but he’s only cleared 9.5 dimes six times over that stretch.

Harden was held under this number in his first meeting with the Pelicans, and he’s averaging just 8.6 assists per game overall in the 2024-25 season. Don’t be shocked if he still has a good game, but fails to clear 9.5 dimes, on Tuesday.

New Orleans Pelicans Best NBA Prop Bet

Zion Williamson UNDER 6.5 Rebounds (-115)

Zion Williamson is averaging 7.2 rebounds per game this season, but he’s been on a minutes limit – around 28 minutes per game – since returning from a hamstring injury.

On top of that, Zion has cleared 6.5 boards in just five of his last 13 games, averaging 6.2 boards per game over that stretch. The Clippers are one of the best rebounding teams in the league – fifth in opponent rebounds per game – so don’t be shocked if Zion falls short of this prop tonight.

Clippers vs. Pelicans Prediction and Pick

These teams have only matched up once this season, back on Dec. 30, and the Clippers won that game by three points.

New Orleans hasn’t been good all season long, but it is over .500 against the spread (11-10-1) as a home underdog entering this matchup. Meanwhile, the Clippers have really struggled as road favorites, covering just four times in 14 tries, one of the worst marks in the NBA.

Over their last 10 games, the Clippers are just 4-6, and they’ve actually posted the No. 19 net rating in the league over that span. Now, New Orleans is the worst defensive team in the league, but has posted a better net rating (-5.5) over its last 10 games than its season-long mark.

The Clippers have a lot less room for error without Powell, and it’s pretty clear their offense is suffering without him. L.A. is just 19th in offensive rating and 16th in effective field goal percentage in its last 10.

Los Angeles will likely win this game, but given its struggles covering on the road this season, I think this ends up being a close matchup. I’ll take the points with a rested New Orleans squad at home.

Pick: Pelicans +7 (-110 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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