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The final game of the 2022 NBA Play-In Tournament features the New Orleans Pelicans visiting the LA Clippers. The winner earns the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference and a first-round matchup with No. 1 Phoenix. The Clips are favored on the MLB odds.

How to Bet New Orleans at LA Clippers NBA Odds & TV Info

When: Friday, 10 PM ET
Where: Crypto.com Arena
TV: TNT
Stream: TNT app
Radio: Tunein.com
NBA Odds: Clippers -4 (total 215.5)
Season Series

The Pelicans won three of four this season but lost the most recent one 119-100 in Los Angeles on April 3. In the first half, the Clippers held the Pelicans to just 35.4% shooting from the field, holding Brandon Ingram and forced 10 total turnovers from New Orleans as well. The Clippers capitalized on a 13-point New Orleans second quarter and raced out to a 66-44 halftime lead. The game was basically over. Seven of the nine players in the Clippers rotation scored in double-digits. And as a team, they dished 33 assists, grabbed 10 steals, and shot better than 47% from three.

Why Bet on New Orleans?

The Pelicans were 113-103 home winners over San Antonio on Wednesday. C.J. McCollum hit 12-of-23 shots, three 3-pointers and 5-of-5 free throws for 32 points with seven assists and six rebounds. McCollum was unstoppable in the first half when he hit 10-of-12 shots for 27 points, which was his season high in any half this year.

Brandon Ingram played through his right hamstring injury and hit 11-of-19 shots for 27 points, five rebounds and five assists. Ingram missed the final three games of the season as well as most of March with the injury. Jonas Valanciunas hit 9-of-14 shots for 22 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and two blocks.

"The three best players for New Orleans all played great, and if that happens, you’re going to lose," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of his team’s inability to contain McCollum, Ingram and Valanciunas. "We stayed in it and got back in it, but then we made the same mistakes as we did in the first three quarters – nonphysical defense."

Off the bench, rookie Jose Alvarado posted 12 points, shooting 4-of-9 (.444) from the floor and 3-of-4 (.750) from three-point range. In the second quarter, he scored 10 of his 12 points, converting a perfect 3-of-3 from behind the arc. Fellow rookie Herb Jones, one of the NBA’s top defenders, helped put Spurs star Dejounte Murray in early foul trouble and to only 16 points in the game.

Larry Nance Jr. went scoreless vs. San Antonio, but that did not tell the whole story, as the veteran was a defensive factor (one block) and grabbed eight rebounds (two on offense) in only 14 minutes of action.

New Orleans outshot San Antonio from the field, converting 44-of-81 (.543) from the floor, while the Spurs shot 37-of-91 (.407) from the floor. New Orleans outscored San Antonio 56-38 in points in the paint. The Pelicans led by as many as 21, while the Spurs only led by as many as six points. There were two lead changes and only two times when the game was tied. New Orleans outrebounded the Spurs 53-34.

Why Bet on Los Angeles?

The Clippers led for much of their game Tuesday in Minnesota but faded late in a 109-104 loss despite the Wolves getting little from star Karl-Anthony Towns, who fouled out midway through the fourth. Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell combined for 59 points.

In a nutshell, the Clippers beat Towns, outscoring Minnesota by 14 points in the 24:17 the three-time NBA All-Star was on the floor. But the Clippers couldn’t beat the Timberwolves. In the 23:43 that Towns was off the floor, Minnesota outscored the Clippers by 19 points, including a 23-11 run following Towns’ exit.

"The game had to go in a different direction," Wolves coach Chris Finch said. "That’s why you have a team, because a lot of other people step up."

Paul George hit 10-of-24 shots, six 3-pointers and 8-of-11 free throws for 34 points, seven rebounds and five assists in the loss. George was 2-of-10 for nine points in the first half, caught fire in the third quarter by scoring 15 points, and then disappeared again in the fourth quarter when the Wolves overcame a 10-point deficit on a 16-2 run once Towns fouled out. Reggie Jackson had 17 points and Norman Powell added 16 points off the bench.

“There are some things I could have done differently,” said Coach Ty Lue, under whom the Clippers last season became the first team to successfully rally twice from 0-2 playoff series deficits. “I should have did a better job adjusting” to D’Angelo Russell’s offensive prowess. “Blitz a little bit more, try to get the ball out of his hands.”

Lue’s side just had too many mental lapses at crucial points in the game and Minnesota exploited them. Specifically, the Clippers turned the ball over 17 times. The Clippers also had another night of scattered cold scoring stretches, which weren’t helped by their percentage from the free-throw line (74.1%).

The Clippers shot better from the field (43.6 percent to 43.4), 3-point range (45.7 percent to 40.0) and free-throw line (74.1 percent to 62.2) than the Timberwolves. But Minnesota had 10 more rebounds and four fewer turnovers, leading to five more field-goal attempts and 10 more free-throw attempts.

Game Trends

Pelicans are 11-2 ATS in their last 13 Friday games.
Pelicans are 13-5 ATS in their last 18 road games.
Pelicans are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games as a road underdog.
Clippers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games.
Clippers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 Friday games.
Clippers are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record.

Expert Prediction
Clippers 108, Cavaliers 105 – Bet NBA Game Now!