Western Conference showdown: New Orleans Pelicans vs Los Angeles Clippers preview, predictions, injury report and TV info

This NBA Friday features 7 exciting games to witness, and one of the most interesting ones is the matchup between the New Orleans Pelicans, led by Zion Williamson, taking on Kawhi Leonard's Los Angeles Clippers. A fantastic duel featuring two of the top teams in the West looking to continue climbing upon the standings to secure a direct trip to the upcoming playoffs.

The Clippers will be the visitors in what will also be their second back-to-back night after beating the Chicago Bulls on Thursday. The Los Angeles franchise is in 4th place with a 42-23 record and will be looking to beat NOLA to stay near the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are currently in 3rd place with a 45-21 record.

The Pelicans, for their part, are forced to win the game as they immediately below the Clippers in the Western standings. New Orleans is 5th with a record of 39-26, and their goal has to be a victory against tonight's opponent to not jeopardize what they've accomplished so far this campaign.

The main predictions for tonight's game place the New Orleans Pelicans as the favorite to win. Coming off the second night of back-to-back and as visitors, Los Angeles Clippers will also be playing without James Harden, so it will be a very difficult matchup for Tyronn Lue's squad.

In addition, the potential quintets starters will be:

The game will be played early tonight at 08:00 pm ET, and can be followed on the NBA's official website and app with a League Pass subscription.