Pelicans @ Heat

Who will WIN this matchup?

New Orleans Pelicans (11-11)

@ Miami Heat (7-13)

Current odds:

New Orleans Pelicans: (-155)

Miami Heat: (+135)

• The line for this game is Pelicans by 3 points.

• The New Orleans Pelicans snapped a four-game losing streak last time out and look to begin improving on their poor road record when they visit the struggling Miami Heat on Friday night. The Pelicans built a 20-point halftime lead and cruised to a 125-104 victory over Washington at home Wednesday as Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday combined for 57 points and 22 rebounds.  Davis (27.1) leads four New Orleans players averaging at least 18 points while topping the team in rebounds (12.9) and looks to take advantage of the Heat, who have dropped eight of their last 10 contests and gave up an average of 120 points the last two games.

• Miami has given up 100 points through three quarters in back-to-back contests for the first time in its history and a late rally came up short in a 115-113 loss to Atlanta on Tuesday – its eighth loss in 13 games at home this season. “Right now, we’re between the hammer and the anvil,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters. “This is the NBA. If you expect it just to be easy, you’ve been led down the wrong road. This is not what we would like but this is when you start to develop some character.”

• Coach Alvin Gentry inserted Tim Frazier into the starting lineup Wednesday and the veteran point guard responded with season highs of 12 points, 12 assists, six rebounds, two steals and 37 minutes of playing time. “I thought Tim did a great job pushing the basketball,” Gentry told reporters. “It allowed Jrue to play off the basketball. It allowed (Holiday) an opportunity to do what he does best which is cutting and finding open spots.” Forward Nikola Mirotic averaged 21.3 points over the last three games to push his season mark to 19.2, and he contributes 10.5 rebounds per contest.

•  Josh Richardson leads the team in scoring (20.5), including 22.7 over his last three games, while backcourt mate Goran Dragic (16.3) is expected to miss his sixth straight contest with a knee injury. Veteran Dwyane Wade (15.2 points) followed up his 35-point effort against Toronto with 18 against Atlanta and center Hassan Whiteside recorded his 14th double-double of the season by scoring 11 and hauling in 10 rebounds. Second-year center Bam Adebayo is averaging 14 points and 12.7 rebounds over his last three games – almost double his season marks of 7.9 and 6.9, respectively.

• New Orleans G E’Twaun Moore is averaging 9.3 points in four games since scoring 30 against Philadelphia.

• Miami SF Justise Winslow (knee contusion) is expected to play Friday.

• The Pelicans won both meetings last season, including a 109-94 victory at Miami.