New Orleans Pelicans vs Miami Heat Prediction and Betting Tips | Jan. 1, 2025 

The New Orleans Pelicans versus Miami Heat matchup is one of the eight games scheduled for Wednesday. The Pelicans have the worst record in the league at 5-28, while Miami is seventh in the East with a 16-14 record.

The two teams have met each other 47 times in the regular season, with Miami holding a 26-21 lead. They played twice last season and split the season series. Their most recent meeting was on March 22 when the Pels won 111-88 behind CJ McCollum’s 30 points. The Heat were led by Jimmy Butler’s 17 points.

New Orleans Pelicans vs Miami Heat game details and odds

The game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday at Kaseya Center. The matchup will be broadcast locally on FanDuel Sports Network - Sun and GCSEN. Fans can also stream it live on NBA League Pass and FuboTV.

Moneyline: Pelicans (+300) vs. Heat (-380)

Spread: Pelicans (+9) vs. Heat (-9)

Total (O/U): Pelicans -110 (o222) vs. Heat -110 (u222)

Editor's note: The odds could change close to the game. The odds listed were as per available information at the time of writing.

New Orleans Pelicans vs. Miami Heat preview

The Pelicans languish at the bottom of the Western Conference standings because of injuries to key players throughout the season. They are on a 10-game losing streak, the longest in the West, and are just 1-14 on the road. New Orleans’ last win came on Dec. 5 against the Phoenix Suns.

Most recently, it lost 116-113 to the LA Clippers on Monday. CJ McCollum had 33 points and all starters scored in double-digits but that wasn’t enough to snap the losing streak.

Miami, meanwhile, has won six of its past 10 games and is 9-5 at home. It defeated the Houston Rockets 104-100 on Sunday behind Tyler Herro’s 27 points and nine assists. Jimmy Butler didn’t play that game but is expected to return to the lineup Wednesday. This should only make things worse for New Orleans.

New Orleans Pelicans vs. Miami Heat betting props

CJ McCollum’s points total is set at 21.5, which is just over his season average of 21.4 points. While he is coming off of two straight games with 32 points at least, he could have trouble scoring against Miami’s stellar defense. Bet on the under here.

Jimmy Butler’s points total is set at 18.5. He is expected to return to the lineup for the first time since Dec. 20. Butler’s prop is the same as his season average. He has been extra motivated this year after not being awarded a max extension in the offseason and should come up with a strong performance against the struggling Pelicans.

New Orleans Pelicans vs. Miami Heat prediction

The oddsmakers highly favor the Heat to win at home. This was expected because of New Orleans’ poor season so far. With Butler back in the lineup, Miami should cover the spread for a win. This should be a low-scoring game with the team total staying under 222 points.