Jazz vs Pelicans Prediction 10/23/26 NBA Picks Today

The New Orleans Pelicans are still searching for their first win of the season after coming up painfully short to the Pacers in a heartbreaking 123-120 home defeat on Wednesday. Dejounte Murray led the team with 23 points and seven assists on nine-of-18 shooting; Zion Williamson added 22 points on seven-of-16 shooting, while Yves Missi and Saddiq Bey each scored 13 points.

As a team, the Pelicans shot 43 percent from the field and 10 of 30 from the 3-point line as they dominated the second quarter by 35-18 to take a 10-point lead after trailing early, but they let it slip in the fourth quarter where they leaked 37 points to allow the Pacers off the hook.

Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz will be hoping for a better effort after getting mauled by the Grizzlies in a 123-103 road defeat on Wednesday. Keyonte George led the team with 22 points and five assists on seven-of-12 shooting; Lauri Markkanen added 18 points with nine rebounds and three assists, while Jaren Jackson Jr. chipped in with 15 points.

As a team, the Jazz shot 47 percent from the field and 11 of 32 from the 3-point line, but they weren’t up to the task on the defensive end and were always fighting a losing battle after getting smashed by 35-20 in the second quarter to trail by as many as 27 points at one stage.

Why the Utah Jazz will win

• The Pelicans have lost each of their last nine road games.
• The favorites have won each of the Jazz’s last 10 games.
• The home team has covered the spread in each of the Jazz’s last nine games.
• The Pelicans have failed to cover the spread in each of their last six road games.

Why the New Orleans Pelicans will win

• The Pelicans have won each of their last eight games against the Jazz.
• The Jazz have lost 12 of their last 13 games.
• The Jazz have failed to cover the spread in nine of their last 10 night games against Southwest Division opponents.
• The Pelicans have covered the spread in five of their last six games against teams that held a losing record.

Total Points Facts

• Each of the Jazz’s last nine games as home favorites against opponents who are on the first leg of a back-to-back have gone UNDER the total points line.
• Each of the Pelicans’ last four games has gone OVER the total points line.

Utah Jazz Player Facts

• Jaxson Hayes was one of only two players in the league to have recorded 6+ blocks in a game last season.
• Lauri Markkanen ranked 1st amongst qualified Centers for three-pointers made per game (2.7) last season.

New Orleans Pelicans Player Facts

• Zion Williamson ranked 1st amongst qualified players for points in the paint per game (15.4) last season.
• Yves Missi ranked 4th amongst qualified players for blocks per 36 minutes (2.8) last season.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Jazz ranked 30th in the league for opponent points per game last season (126.0).
• The Jazz ranked 30th in the league for opponent assists per game last season (30.7).
• The Pelicans ranked 29th in the league for opponent three-point field goal attempts per game last season (40.5).
• The Pelicans ranked 2nd for points in the paint (4730) last season.

The Pelicans don’t have any players listed on the injury report, while the Jazz have ruled out Jusuf Nurkic and Trey Alexander, with Tony Bradley listed as questionable. It’s hard to split these two struggling teams at this early stage of the season, but the Pelicans would have taken plenty of positives from their narrow defeat to the Pacers, and I think they can bounce back with a win here, so I like them as the road underdog. The early money has been flowing the way of the Pelicans, and I think they get the job done on the road.

Peter Tran's Free Pick: New Orleans +1.5

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