Pelicans vs. Cavaliers NBA Betting Odds, Prediction & Trends

The New Orleans Pelicans travel to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers on Thursday night at 7:30 PM ET. Can the Pelicans cover the 1-point spread as road underdogs? Keep reading for our Pelicans vs. Cavaliers betting prediction.

The New Orleans Pelicans are 16-12 straight up in the regular season this year. They are 16-11-1 ATS this season.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are 16-12 straight up in the regular season this year. They are 13-13-2 ATS this season.

503 New Orleans Pelicans (+1) at 504 Cleveland Cavaliers (-1); o/u 228.5

7:30 p.m. ET, Thursday, December 21, 2023

Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse Cleveland, OH

Our NBA Public Betting Information page indicates that 60% of public bettors are currently backing the Pelicans when it comes to the spread. This information is subject to change throughout the day, however, so be sure to check the link so you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.

Pelicans power forward Zion Williamson, small forward Herb Jones, and center Jonas Valanciunas are all questionable to play on Thursday due to illnesses. Williamson is second on the team in scoring with 22.0 points per game and Valanciunas leads the team in rebounding with 9.9 boards per game this year.

New Orleans forward Matt Ryan won’t play on Thursday as he works his way back from a right elbow injury. He’s expected to be out until the end of January. Ryan is averaging 9.3 points per contest in 22.9 minutes per game on the campaign.

Cavaliers power forward Evan Mobley (knee), point guard Darius Garland (jaw), and point guard Ty Jerome (ankle) will all sit out Thursday’s home tilt with the Pelicans. Garland is second on the club in scoring with 20.7 points per game and Mobley was averaging 16.0 points and 10.5 rebounds per contest before getting injured.

Cleveland star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell missed his team’s last game on Wednesday night due to an illness, and he’s officially listed as questionable for Thursday’s clash against New Orleans. Mitchell leads the Cavs in scoring with 27.7 points per game in 2023.

New Orleans is 10-8-1 ATS when playing on 1 day of rest this season.

New Orleans is 6-4-1 ATS after a loss this year.

Cleveland is 1-5-1 ATS with the rest disadvantage this season. That’s the second-worst mark in the league.

Cleveland is 7-8 ATS after a win this season.

This is a game where it’s worth monitoring the injury report for both teams. For Cleveland, their star player Donovan Mitchell is questionable with an illness on Thursday. For New Orleans, three of their top six scorers (Zion Williamson, Jonas Valanciunas, and Herb Jones) are all also questionable with illnesses. I like the Pelicans’ chances in this one due to their depth and a few numbers in their favor.

New Orleans is 4-2-1 ATS as a road underdog this season and 4-3 ATS with the rest advantage this year. The Pelicans last played on Tuesday night while Cleveland faced Utah at home on Wednesday night. The Pelicans have also been solid against the East this season as they are 4-3 ATS in non-conference games in 2023. For those reasons, I like the Pelicans to win this game outright on the road in Cleveland on Thursday night.