The New Orleans Pelicans will return from a five-game road trip when they host the Miami Heat on Wednesday night. New Orleans went 2-3 in those five games, including a 113-103 loss at Cleveland on Monday. Miami had its three-game winning streak snapped in a 121-113 loss at Atlanta earlier this week.
Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET. Miami is favored by 2.5 points in the latest Pelicans vs. Heat odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under is set at 219. Before entering any Heat vs. Pelicans picks, you'll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past four-plus seasons. The model enters Week 14 of the 2022-23 NBA season on a stunning 45-20 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning more than $2,200. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Pelicans vs. Heat. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for Pelicans vs. Heat:
- Pelicans vs. Heat spread: Pelicans +2.5
- Pelicans vs. Heat over/under: 219 points
- Pelicans vs. Heat money line: New Orleans +118, Miami -140
- Pelicans vs. Heat picks
Why the Pelicans can cover
New Orleans will be happy to return to the Smoothie King Center following its five-game road trip, as the Pelicans have been one of the best home teams in the NBA this season. They have gone 12-2 in their last 14 home games and are 17-5 in that category overall this year. Miami has had issues away from home, going 10-12 in its 22 road games.
The Heat never led in their trip to Atlanta on Monday, falling behind by as many as 26 points in the first half. They could be without veteran guard Kyle Lowry again in this matchup, as he is listed as a game time decision due to a knee injury that has sidelined him since Jan. 8. New Orleans point guard CJ McCollum is averaging 21.3 points, 5.8 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game following his 25-point effort against Cleveland earlier this week.
Why the Heat can cover
New Orleans continues to be shorthanded coming into this game, as leading scorer Zion Williamson (hamstring) and third-leading scorer Brandon Ingram (toe) are both going to miss Wednesday's contest. The Pelicans have had trouble overcoming their absences, going 3-5 in their first eight games of 2023. They could be dealing with some additional fatigue after returning from a five-game road trip.
Miami has won four of its last six games and was able to get some key players back on the court earlier this week. Starters Tyler Herro and Caleb Martin both played on Monday, while Jimmy Butler led the team with 34 points. The Heat have dominated New Orleans in the recent head-to-head series, covering the spread in eight of the last nine meetings.
How to make Heat vs. Pelicans picks
The model has simulated Pelicans vs. Heat 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Over, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in over 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
