Pelicans vs Pacers Prediction 10/21/26 NBA Picks Today

The Indiana Pacers endured a nightmare season last season as they finished with a franchise-worst 19-63 record. Pascal Siakam led the team with averages of 24.0 points and 6.6 rebounds per game to earn himself an All-Star nod, but that was the only real bright spot in a horror season without the injured Tyrese Haliburton, who was recovering from a torn Achilles tendon.

The good news is that Haliburton is scheduled to return to the team alongside Ivica Zubac, so the roster looks so much better, especially now that they’ve added Kelly Oubre Jr. and Larry Nance Jr. to bolster their depth.

Meanwhile, the New Orleans Pelicans stumbled their way through another disappointing season, finishing with just 26 wins after a horror start which saw them lose 12 of their first 13 games. Trey Murphy III had a breakout season with averages of 21.5 points per game and 3.2 3-point makes per game, while Zion Williamson was relatively healthy for most of the season.

The Pelicans made the change at the coaching position also, as they took Jamahl Mosley after he was dropped by the Magic, and they signed Bennedict Mathurin to a multi-year deal, which gives them some much-needed wing scoring.

Why the New Orleans Pelicans will win

• The Pacers have lost each of their last 14 games against Western Conference opponents.
• The home team has won each of the last 11 games between the Pacers and Pelicans.
• The home team has covered the spread in each of the Pelicans’ last six games.
• The Pacers have failed to cover the spread in nine of their last 10 games at Smoothie King Center.

Why the Indiana Pacers will win

• The Pelicans have lost each of their last eight games against Central Division opponents.
• The road team has won each of the Pacers’ last four games.
• The Pelicans have failed to cover the spread in each of their last eight games against Central Division opponents.
• The Pacers have covered the spread in 11 of their last 13 games.

Total Points Facts

• Seven of the Pacers’ last eight games as favorites have gone UNDER the total points line.
• Five of the Pelicans’ last six games as home underdogs have gone UNDER the total points line.

New Orleans Pelicans Player Facts

• Zion Williamson ranked 1st amongst qualified players for points in the paint per game (15.4) last season.
• Jeremiah Fears has scored 25+ points in three consecutive appearances- the longest active streak of any player in the league.

Indiana Pacers Player Facts

• Pascal Siakam has scored 25+ points in three consecutive appearances – equal-longest active streak of any player in the league.
• Andrew Nembhard has recorded 9+ assists in four consecutive appearances – longest active streak of any player in the league.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Pelicans suffered the equal-most losses when leading at HT last season (16).
• The Pelicans suffered the most losses when leading by a margin of 10+ points at HT last season (6).
• The Pacers recorded the equal-longest losing streak in the NBA last season (16 games).
• The Pacers suffered the equal-most losses when leading after Q1 last season (21).

The Pacers are still missing some players, with Aaron Nesmith, TJ McConnell and Johnny Furphy all out, while the Pelicans are kicking things off with a fully healthy squad.

The spotlight will definitely be on the Pacers’ Haliburton, who makes his long-awaited return after 486 days of rehab, and he looked to be fully fit in preseason action. It’s hard to split these two teams before we see them in a real game, but there’s certainly more optimism following the Pacers, and I think they start with a solid win on the road behind a big game from Haliburton.

Peter Tran's Free Pick: Indiana -3.5