As the world attempts to return to normal following the pandemic, sometimes we’re reminded we’re not yet in the clear. The NBA play-in tournament was shaken up in a major way early Friday afternoon. Paul George was ruled out for the Los Angeles Clippers’ win-and-in play-in tournament game against the New Orleans Pelicans after testing positive for Covid-19. George is Los Angeles’ best player, and the betting market has reacted as a result.
Pelicans now favored over the Clippers
At the start of the day, the Los Angeles Clippers were a 3.5-point favorite over the New Orleans Pelicans. Bettors were rushing to bet the Clippers, as they had received 89% of the betting handle as of Friday morning. However, one report changed everything.
Paul George is fully vaccinated and under most circumstances, wouldn’t need to be tested under the league’s current protocols. However, George exhibited symptoms, which then requires a test. The test came back positive forcing him out of the biggest game of the Clippers’ season.
With the Clippers now being without their best player, the betting line moved five points. The Pelicans are now a 1.5-point favorite on the road over the Clippers. The Pelicans have also gone from +140 underdogs on the moneyline to -120 favorites.
Without George, the Clippers will rely on a combination of Norman Powell, Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris to pick up the slack. The Clippers were just 24-27 this season in games that George missed. On the other side, the Pelicans have gone 34-30 after recovering from opening the season with a 3-16 record. The acquisition of CJ McCollum has been massive for New Orleans.
The total has also slightly moved due to the absence of George. After opening at 216.5 points, the current total for Friday night’s game between the Clippers and Pelicans is set at 213.5 points.
