Boston Celtics vs New Orleans Pelicans Prediction, Preview and Odds - 03/30/2024

Game Time: 5:00 pm ET, Saturday, March 30, 2024

Venue:  Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA 

Where to Watch:  NBA TV

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Celtics -5.5, Pelicans +5.5; Over/Under:  223 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Celtics -5.5, Pelicans +5.5; Over/Under:  223 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Celtics -5.5, Pelicans +5.5; Over/Under:  223 points

Boston Celtics:  57-16 (1st place, Atlantic Division)

New Orleans Pelicans:  45-28 (1st place, Southwest Division)

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Boston Celtics:  8-2 last 10

New Orleans Pelicans:  7-3 last 10

The Celtics are entering this game with a 57-16 record overall and they are 25-13 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game on a 2 game losing streak with losses coming against the Atlanta Hawks in their last 2 games. In their last game against the Hawks, Jayson Tatum led the team in points in that game with 31 while Derrick White was next on the team with 22 points. Jayson Tatum led the team in assists in that game with 6 while Jayson Tatum led the team in rebounds with 13. They were 47.9% from the field, 38.9% from 3-point range, and 85.7% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 121.1 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 109.8 PPG against them. The Celtics have an ATS record of 38-32-3 this season and their O/U record is 37-36.

The Pelicans are entering this game with a 45-28 record overall and they are 21-14 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the Milwaukee Bucks in their last game. Zion Williamson led the team in points in that game with 28 while CJ McCollum was next on the team with 25 points. CJ McCollum led the team in assists in that game with 7 while Trey Murphy III led the team in rebounds with 11. They were 39.6% from the field, 25% from 3-point range, and 79.4% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 115.6 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 110.4 PPG against them. The Pelicans have an ATS record of 41-31-1 this season and their O/U record is 31-41-1.

The current betting odds have the Celtics listed as a 5.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Celtics have looked great in their games this season with their 57-16 record overall which leads the East with the best record in the entire NBA and they have already clinched a playoff spot too. They have also been a great road team this year with their 25-13 road record. Meanwhile, the Pelicans have also looked good in their games this season with their 45-28 record overall which has them in a playoff spot in the West right now. They have also looked good on their home court with their 21-14 home record. The Pelicans haven't been as hot as the Celtics have been lately though. The Pelicans are 7-3 in their last 10 games but the Celtics are still coming into this one as the hotter team with their 8-2 record in their last 10 games. The Pelicans are also coming off a tough win against the Bucks in their last one while the Celtics are looking to bounce back here from 2 losses in a row. The Celtics rarely lose 2 games in a row this season and they just lost 2 in a row to the Hawks who are a team they have struggled with this season. The Celtics didn't look great in those games but they will be looking to bounce back here and they have a lot more talent than the Pelicans with the way they have been rolling teams all season. The best way to place a bet here is on the Celtics to cover the spread in this game.

Celtics Pelicans Prediction:  Our NBA Pick for Saturday, March 30, 2024 (5:00 pm ET start time) is Celtics 123 Pelicans 107.

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Boston Celtics: 13-22 ATS off an upset loss as a road favorite of 7 or more. 1-5 ATS after a close loss by 3 points or less. 6-3 UNDER against Southwest division opponents. 6-1 UNDER after 5 or more consecutive overs. 11-6 UNDER after failing to cover the spread in 2 or more consecutive games.

New Orleans Pelicans: 8-0 ATS against Atlantic division opponents. 14-6 ATS off a home win. 13-7 ATS after playing 2 consecutive home games. 6-3 UNDER against Atlantic division opponents. 27-13 UNDER after a game where they covered the spread. 13-6 UNDER off an upset win as a home underdog.

Boston Celtics:  J. Springer (PG) Ques Sat - Knee. A. Horford (C) Ques Sat - Toe.

New Orleans Pelicans:  J. Alvarado (PG) Ques Sat - Oblique. B. Ingram (SF) Mid April - Knee. D. Daniels (SG) Early April - Knee.

“That’s a really good team.” - Joe Mazzulla after his team’s loss against the Hawks in their game on Thursday.

“If we’re going to lose certain games, we at least want to do it the right way, knowing that we got the shots we wanted.” - Zion Williamson after their win against the Bucks in their game on Thursday.

PG Jrue Holiday

SG Derrick White

SF Jaylen Brown

PF Jayson Tatum

C Kristaps Porzingis

PG CJ McCollum

SG Trey Murphy III

SF Herbert Jones

PF Zion Williamson

C Jonas Valanciunas

PPG: J. Tatum (27.3)

APG: D. White (5.2)

Reb/G: J. Tatum (8.2)

PPG: Z. Williamson (22.8)

APG: B. Ingram (5.8)

Reb/G: J. Valanciunas (9.2)

Coaches:

Boston Celtics: Joe Mazzulla (2nd season)

New Orleans Pelicans: Willie Green (3rd season)