Portland Trailblazers (14-20) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (8-27)
January 2, 2026 8:00 pm EDT
The Line: New Orleans Pelicans +1.5; Over/Under: 243.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Portland Trail Blazers invade the Smoothie King Center to battle the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night. Here’s a Pelicans vs Trail Blazers Prediction. This article will include a Pelicans vs Trail Blazers Pick.
Portland Trail Blazers Betting Preview
The Portland Trail Blazers have been in decent form, as they’ve won five of their last nine games overall. They will be hoping to bounce back here after having their two-game win streak halted by the Thunder in a 124-95 road defeat on Wednesday. Sidy Cissoko led the team with 19 points on seven of 10 shooting, Deni Avdija added 17 points with seven rebounds and seven assists while Shaedon Sharpe chipped in with 14 points. As a team, the Trail Blazers shot just 39 percent from the field and 14 of 35 from the 3-point line as they struggled to keep pace with the Thunder from the tipoff. They were never truly a threat after falling behind by 73-55 going into the halftime break. The Trail Blazers were outscored in every quarter, they committed 24 turnovers and they needed a lot more from players like Tounami Camara who finished with just six points on two of seven shooting.
New Orleans Pelicans Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the New Orleans Pelicans have gone cold again, as they are now on a five-game losing streak after getting trampled by the Bulls in a 134-118 road defeat on Wednesday. Zion Williamson led the team with 31 points on 12 of 19 shooting, Jordan Poole added 26 points off the bench, while Saddiq Bey chipped in with 16 points. As a team, the Pelicans shot 43 percent from the field and 12 of 38 from the 3-point line as they got into their offensive flow early. They were right in the contest until the fourth quarter, where they leaked 37 points to pull away and make it look easy in the end. Derik Queen had a quiet game of just nine points on four of seven shooting while Jeremiah Fears scored just five points on two of eight shooting.
Why the New Orleans Pelicans will win
- The underdogs have won four of the last five games between the Trail Blazers and Pelicans.
- The Trail Blazers have lost each of their last five night games on the first leg of a back-to-back.
- The Trail Blazers have failed to cover the spread in seven of their last eight road games against Western Conference opponents that held a losing record.
- The Pelicans have covered the spread in each of their last five games against Northwest Division opponents.
Why the Portland Trail Blazers will win
- The Pelicans have lost 21 of their last 22 games against Western Conference opponents following a loss.
- The Trail Blazers have won eight of their last nine games as road favorites on the first leg of a back-to-back.
- The favorites have covered the spread in six of the Trail Blazers’ last seven games.
- The Pelicans have failed to cover the spread in five of their last six games against Trail Blazers teams that held a losing record.
Total Points Facts
- Each of the Pelicans’ last seven games against Northwest Division opponents have gone OVER the total points line.
- Each of the Trail Blazers’ last six games as favorites following a road loss have gone OVER the total points line.
New Orleans Pelicans Player Facts
- Trey Murphy III ranks 2nd in the Western Conference amongst qualified players for steals per game (1.6) this season.
- Jeremiah Fears is one of only five players in the league to have recorded 7+ steals in a game this season.
Portland Trail Blazers Player Facts
- Donovan Clingan ranks 3rd in the league for second chance points (120) this season.
- Shaedon Sharpe ranks 4th amongst qualified players for fast break points per game (4.0) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Pelicans rank 30th in the league for opponent three-point field goal attempts per game this season (41.8).
- The Pelicans have recorded the largest comeback win from a HT deficit this season – trailed by 22 points vs Rockets on December 18.
- The Trail Blazers rank 30th in the league for opponent steals per game this season (10.9).
- The Trail Blazers rank 30th in the league for opponent blocks per game this season (6.3).
Pelicans vs Trail Blazers Prediction
The Trail Blazers are still missing Jrue Holiday, Jerami Grant, Matisse Thybulle and Scoot Henderson, while the Pelicans have ruled out Herbert Jones and Dejounte Murray with Saddiq Bey listed as questionable. The Trail Blazers were building some momentum before they ran into the Thunder in their last outing, so I am not surprised to see them open as slight road favorites in this one. The Pelicans are relatively healthy, and they should snap out of their funk sooner or later, but I will lean with the more consistent Trail Blazers to get the win in this spot.
