Jonas Valanciunas and the New Orleans Pelicans will visit the Cleveland Cavaliers tomorrow while Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson are still out due to injuries.
After their 125-114 loss against the Boston Celtics, the Pels beat the Pistons with Valanciunas’s 33 points leading the way.
“JV had a monster game,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said after the game. “He dominated in the post and he dominated on the boards and we needed every point and every rebound.”
Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers fall short over Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Edwards finished with 26 points, but it is the Wolves bench who step up with a total of 56 points. This makes it a 2-0 regular sweep for the Wolves over the Cavs.
The Cavs are looking to get back in the winning column and take advantage of the heavily injured Pels team. However, if they want to secure another home win, guarding the paint will be necessary.
Can the Pels pull off an upset in this NBA matchup?
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Odds
| FanDuel Louisiana Odds | NO Pelicans | CLE Cavaliers |
| Point Spread | +6.5 (-110) | -6.5 (-110) |
| Money Line | +215 | -255 |
| Total | O 229 (-110) | U 229 (-110) |
| DraftKings Louisiana Odds | NO Pelicans | CLE Cavaliers |
| Point Spread | +6.5 (-110) | -6.5 (-110) |
| Money Line | +215 | -260 |
Note: NBA odds may change based on recent sports news like injuries and issues. Visit Louisiana online sportsbooks for a full list of betting markets.
Pels at Cavs Preview
New Orleans is looking to have a better ender for their 10-day road trip as they visit the Cleveland Cavaliers tomorrow.
With Williamson and Ingram ruled out of this matchup, the Pelicans lose out on a significant chunk of their offensive firepower and are unlikely to be able to score enough points to cover the 6.5-point spread. On the other hand, the Cavaliers have a decent defensive unit that can make it difficult for the Pelicans to consistently put up points, which could give them an upper hand as the game progresses.
Due to injuries, the Pels are relying on JV for offense, but the Cavs are no short of big men who can defend. Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, and even Kevin Love are expected to play, it will all just depend on how they set up the wall against the Lithuanian big man.
To add to this, Cleveland’s shooting ability also serves as an advantage in this game as they rank seventh in terms of team shooting percentage while New Orleans is allowing the 16th most points per game. It may be difficult for the Pels to catch up with the Cavs’ offense with Donovan Mitchell leading the way.
With a 9-12 record, the Pels are surely not a fan of playing on the road. However, they have no choice but to face the Cleveland Cavaliers who are 18-4 when playing at Rocket Mortgage FieldHose this season.
It is still not a certain victory for the Cavs, but numbers are heavily in their favor.
