3rd Quarter Report
The Pelicans are on the road but looking no worse for wear. They have jumped out to a 76-66 lead against the Heat.
The Pelicans came into the match with some extra motivation after the loss they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We’ll see if they’re able to flip the script or if it’ll just be more of the same.
Who’s Playing
New Orleans Pelicans @ Miami Heat
Current Records: New Orleans 42-27, Miami 38-31
How To Watch
- When: Friday, March 22, 2024 at 8 p.m. ET
- Where: Kaseya Center — Miami, Florida
- TV: Bally Sports Sun
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $54.00
What to Know
The Pelicans are 1-9 against the Heat since December of 2018 but they’ll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. Having just played yesterday, the New Orleans Pelicans will head out on the road to face off against the Miami Heat at 8:00 p.m. ET on March 22nd at Kaseya Center. Coming off a loss in a game the Pelicans were expected to win, they now face the more daunting task of proving themselves against unfavorable odds.
The Pelicans unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Thursday. They took a 121-106 bruising from Orlando. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for the Pelicans in their matchups with the Magic: they’ve now lost four in a row.
The Pelicans struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only three offensive rebounds. That’s the fewest offensive rebounds they’ve managed all season.
Meanwhile, the defenses reigned supreme when the Heat and the Cavaliers played on Wednesday, rewarding bettors who took the risk on the low 207-point over/under. Miami sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 107-104 victory over the Cavaliers. For those keeping track at home, that’s the closest win the Heat have posted since December 16, 2023.
Among those leading the charge was Jimmy Butler, who scored 30 points along with five assists and four steals. He didn’t help the Heat’s cause all that much against the Pistons on Friday but the same can’t be said for this matchup.
New Orleans’ loss ended a four-game streak of away wins and brought them to 42-27. As for Miami, they are on a roll lately: they’ve won three of their last four matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 38-31 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: The Pelicans haven’t given up the ball easily this season, having only averaged 12.6 turnovers per game. However, it’s not like the Heat struggle in that department as they’ve been averaging only 11.9 turnovers per game. Given these competing strengths, it’ll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
The Pelicans came up short against the Heat when the teams last played back in February, falling 106-95. Can the Pelicans avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We’ll find out soon enough.
Odds
Miami is a 3-point favorite against New Orleans, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Heat as a 2.5-point favorite.
The oddsmakers are predicting a defensive showdown and set the over/under low at 206.5 points.
See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
Miami has won 9 out of their last 10 games against New Orleans.
- Feb 23, 2024 – Miami 106 vs. New Orleans 95
- Jan 22, 2023 – Miami 100 vs. New Orleans 96
- Jan 18, 2023 – Miami 124 vs. New Orleans 98
- Feb 10, 2022 – Miami 112 vs. New Orleans 97
- Nov 17, 2021 – Miami 113 vs. New Orleans 98
- Mar 04, 2021 – Miami 103 vs. New Orleans 93
- Dec 25, 2020 – Miami 111 vs. New Orleans 98
- Mar 06, 2020 – New Orleans 110 vs. Miami 104
- Nov 16, 2019 – Miami 109 vs. New Orleans 94
- Dec 16, 2018 – Miami 102 vs. New Orleans 96
