Cleveland Cavaliers vs New Orleans Pelicans Prediction 3/21/2026 Today’s NBA Picks

The Cleveland Cavaliers invade the Smoothie King Center to take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night. Here’s a Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New Orleans Pelicans Prediction. This article will include a Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New Orleans Pelicans Pick.

Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Preview 

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been in decent shape, as they’ve won six of their last nine games overall and they will be aiming for a third straight victory after routing the Bulls in a 115-110 road win on Thursday. James Harden led the team with 36 points, seven rebounds and nine assists; Evan Mobley added 26 points with 14 rebounds on 12 of 19 shooting, while Jaylon Tyson chipped in with 18 points and 11 rebounds.

As a team, the Cavaliers shot 44 percent from the field and 14 of 41 from the 3-point line as they jumped all over the Bulls early on to lead by as many as 29 points and they needed every bit of it as they saw their lead get cut to just one point with 3:33 left in the fourth quarter. 

New Orleans Pelicans Betting Preview 

Meanwhile, the New Orleans Pelicans have been on a nice run lately as they’ve won five of their last six games overall and they will be gunning for a fourth straight victory after sneaking past the Clippers in a 105-99 win on Thursday. Trey Murphy III led the team with 27 points on nine of 17 shooting, Saddiq Bey added 20 points with six assists, and Zion Williamson chipped in with 15 points on five of seven shooting.

As a team, the Pelicans shot 47 percent from the field and 13 of 34 from the 3-point line but this win was more about their defense, as this game was closely contested all the way until the Pelicans closed the final 5:34 on a 14-5 run to snatch the game away at the end. 

Why the New Orleans Pelicans will win

• The home team has won each of the Pelicans’ last seven games.
• The Cavaliers have lost three of their last four games as road favorites following a win.
• The Pelicans have covered the spread in each of their last seven home games.
• The Cavaliers have failed to cover the spread in each of their last six games as road favorites following a win.

Why the Cleveland Cavaliers will win

• The Cavaliers have won each of their last nine night games following a road win.
• The Pelicans have lost each of their last six night games against Central Division opponents.
• The Pelicans have failed to cover the spread in each of their last six night games against Central Division opponents.
• The Cavaliers have covered the spread in each of their last four games against the Pelicans.

Total Points Facts

• Each of the Pelicans’ last five games against the Cavaliers following a home win have gone OVER the total points line.
• Four of the Cavaliers’ last five games have gone OVER the total points line.

New Orleans Pelicans Player Facts

• Jeremiah Fears is one of only seven players in the league to have recorded 7+ steals in a game this season.
• Trey Murphy III ranks 8th amongst qualified players for three-pointers made per game (3.3) this season.

Cleveland Cavaliers Player Facts

• Sam Merrill ranks 4th amongst qualified players for three-pointers made per 36 minutes (4.4) this season.
• James Harden ranks 5th amongst qualified players for assists per game (8.0) this season.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Pelicans rank 29th in the league for opponent offensive rebounds per game this season (12.7).
• The Pelicans rank 29th in the league for opponent three-point field goal attempts per game this season (40.9).
• The Cavaliers rank 1st in the league for H2 points per game this season (61.0).
• The Cavaliers rank 1st in the league for Q4 win percentage this season (61.4%).

Cleveland Cavaliers vs New Orleans Pelicans Prediction

The Cavaliers are still missing Craig Porter Jr. and Jarrett Allen with Jaylon Tyson and Donovan Mitchell both questionable, while the Pelicans have ruled out Bryce McGowens again. These two teams have already met once this season, with the Cavaliers winning by 141-118 back on Dec 23, but a lot has changed since then. The Cavaliers are starting to heat up with their revamped backcourt, but the Pelicans have also come to life in recent games and I think they could pull off the upset at home. I expect this to be a close one, so I will lean with the Pelicans and the points in this spot.

Peter Tran's Pick: New Orleans +5.5