Detroit Pistons (31-10) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (10-35)
January 21, 2026 8:00 pm EDT
The Line: New Orleans Pelicans +9.5; Over/Under: 232.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Detroit Pistons and the New Orleans Pelicans collide at the Smoothie King Center on Wednesday night. Here’s a Pelicans vs Pistons Prediction. This article will include a Pelicans vs Pistons Pick.
Detroit Pistons Betting Preview
The Detroit Pistons have been on a tear as they’ve won eight of their last 10 games overall and they will be gunning for a fourth straight victory after sneaking past the Celtics in a 104-103 home win on Monday. Tobias Harris led the team with 25 points on 11 of 20 shooting, Jalen Duren added 18 points with nine rebounds while Cade Cunningham chipped in with 16 points and 14 assists. As a team, the Pistons shot 43 percent from the field and 11 of 35 from the 3-point line as they took control of the contest with 33 points in the second quarter to take a 12-point lead. But this was a dogfight right till the end as they never led by more than five points in the fourth quarter and weren’t really comfortable until 2:21 left in the game where the Pistons scored two clutch baskets to pull ahead for good.
New Orleans Pelicans Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the New Orleans Pelicans have been mired in a terrible slump as they’ve lost 13 of their last 15 games overall. They will be hoping to avoid a third straight defeat after getting beaten by the Rockets in a 119-110 road defeat on Sunday. Trey Murphy III led the team with 21 points, Zion Williamson added 20 points with six rebounds and four assists while Derik Queen chipped in with 15 points and five assists. As a team, the Pelicans shot 50 percent from the field and 10 of 26 from the 3-point line as they struggled to contain the Rockets early on and fell behind by 10 points at halftime. You might think that the game was competitive if you looked at the final score, but the Pelicans were trailing in this one by 19 points midway through the fourth quarter. Before they made a late run to cut the margin to single digits.
Why the New Orleans Pelicans will win
- The Pistons have lost each of their last eight games at Smoothie King Center when playing with a rest disadvantage.
- The Pelicans have won each of their last seven games when playing with a rest advantage against the Pistons.
- The Pistons have failed to cover the spread in each of their last five games as favorites when playing with a rest disadvantage.
- The Pelicans have covered the spread in each of their last four home games against Eastern Conference opponents.
Why the Detroit Pistons will win
- The Pelicans have lost each of their last nine games against teams that held a winning record.
- The favorites have won each of the Pelicans’ last 15 games.
- The favorites have covered the spread in 10 of the Pelicans’ last 11 games.
- The Pelicans have failed to cover the spread in eight of their last nine games as underdogs.
Total Points Facts
- Each of the Pistons’ last eight games have gone UNDER the total points line.
- Each of the Pelicans’ last four games against Central Division opponents have gone OVER the total points line.
New Orleans Pelicans Player Facts
- Trey Murphy III ranks 2nd amongst qualified Forwards for FT% (89.7%) this season.
- Zion Williamson ranks 2nd amongst qualified Forwards for FG% (58.5%) this season.
Detroit Pistons Player Facts
- Cade Cunningham has recorded two games with 10+ assists and zero turnovers this season – most of any player in the league.
- Jalen Duren ranks 3rd amongst qualified players for points in the paint per game (13.4) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Pelicans have recorded the largest comeback win from a HT deficit this season – trailed by 22 points vs Rockets on December 18.
- The Pelicans rank 1st for points in the paint (2622) this season.
- The Pistons rank 1st in the league for opponent assists per game this season (22.8).
- The Pistons rank 1st in the league for steals per game this season (10.4).
Pelicans vs Pistons Prediction
The Pistons don’t have any players listed on the injury report, while the Pelicans are still missing Dejounte Murray and Jose Alverado with Herbert Jones listed as questionable. The Pistons are currently one of the hottest teams in the league, they are as healthy as they’ve been all season and just took down the Celtics in a gritty win on Monday. In contrast, the Pelicans are the coldest team in the league right now, they are still dealing with some injuries, and they didn’t look great in their loss to the Pelicans. The Pistons were always going to be heavy favorites in this one, but the line still isn’t high enough to sway me from taking the Pistons to get the blowout win on the road in this spot.
