Pelicans vs. Heat Prediction & Odds
The fourth-seeded New Orleans Pelicans travel to Miami to face the sixth-seeded Heat on Sunday afternoon at 3:30 PM ET. Can the Pelicans cover the 7.5-point spread as road underdogs?
The New Orleans Pelicans are 26-20 on the season. They are 3-7 in their last 10 games. The Pelicans are 22-24 ATS on the year.
The Miami Heat are 25-22 on the season. They’re 6-4 in their last 10 games. The Heat are 18-26-3 ATS on the year.
Game Matchup & Betting Odds
515 New Orleans Pelicans (+7.5) at 516 Miami Heat (-7.5); O/U 222.5
3:30 PM ET, Sunday, January 22, 2023
Miami-Dade Arena, Miami, FL
Pelicans vs. Heat Public Betting Information
Our NBA Public Betting Information page indicates that 55% of public bettors are currently backing the Heat -7.5 in this contest. Note that these numbers are subject to change, so be sure to check the link to receive the most up-to-date public betting data.
New Orleans Pelicans DFS Spin
New Orleans will be considerably shorthanded for this game. Star forwards Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson will both miss Sunday’s game with lower body injuries. Ingram and Williamson are two of the Pelicans’ top three scorers and combined to average 46.8 points per game for New Orleans this season. Their absence will create more shots for role players on Sunday.
One player who should see a bigger offensive workload Sunday is Pelicans’ shooting guard CJ McCollum. McCollum is posting 21.3 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game for New Orleans this year. He’s also shooting well from three (39.7%) and from the free throw line (79.2%) this season. CJ McCollum should play around 32 minutes and take about 20 shots, which should provide some good value for DFS players this weekend.
Miami Heat DFS Spin
If you need a center in DFS, consider Miami’s Bam Adebayo. Adebayo is having a terrific season for the Heat so far, as he’s stuffing the stat sheet to the tune of 21.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game. On top of those numbers, Adebayo is shooting a stellar 53.9% from the field on 16 shot attempts per game.
For shooting at the point guard position, consider Miami’s Tyler Herro. Herro is averaging 3.1 made three-pointers per game and is shooting a respectable 37.2% from beyond the arc this year. In addition to averaging over 20 points per game, Herro is also recording 5.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists per contest for the Heat on the campaign. He leads the team in shot attempts so volume shouldn’t be an issue for Herro this weekend.
Pelicans vs. Heat NBA Betting Trends
New Orleans is 3-9 ATS in their last 12 road games.
New Orleans is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
Miami is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games following an ATS loss.
Miami is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 home games.
Pelicans vs. Heat NBA Prediction
The Pelicans will not only be missing two of their best players in Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram on Sunday, but they will also likely be without small forward Naji Marshall, who is averaging 10.5 points per game in 25.1 minutes per contest for New Orleans this season. Miami is a strong defensive team as they rank second in opponent points per game and fifth in defensive efficiency this year. I’d like Miami’s chances against a fully healthy New Orleans squad, but I like them even more when the Pelicans will be missing three of their top six scorers. I’ll lay the points with the Heat at home.
NBA BETTING PREDICTION: MIAMI HEAT -7.5
