Pelicans visit Jazz with both teams 0-1 after opening losses
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
The 0-1 Pelicans face the 0-1 Jazz in Salt Lake City, with odds listing New Orleans as a 1.5-point favorite.
Both teams are chasing a first win, and the Pelicans have won eight straight in the series.
Background
The New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz are NBA teams that both opened the 2025-26 season with losses. The Pelicans fell 123-120 at home to the Indiana Pacers, while the Jazz were beaten 123-103 at the Memphis Grizzlies. The matchup is drawing betting attention partly because of a lopsided recent series history: New Orleans has won eight straight against Utah, including a 156-137 result in their last meeting.
How it unfolded
- Oct 21, 2026The Pelicans lost their home opener 123-120 to the Indiana Pacers; Yves Missi had 13 points, 14 rebounds and 3 blocks, and Derik Queen added 10 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.
- Oct 21, 2026The Jazz lost 123-103 at the Memphis Grizzlies; Keyonte George scored 22 points and Lauri Markkanen had 18 points and 9 rebounds.
- Oct 23, 2026Pelicans (0-1) at Jazz (0-1) at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, tip-off 9:30 p.m. ET, with New Orleans listed as a 1.5-point favorite and the total at 239.5.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- Dimers' model gives the Jazz a 56.2% win probability and projects a 119-117 Utah win.
- Bulls
- Sportsbook Wire's Daniel Dobish backs the Pelicans as short underdogs, citing their dominance in the series, and predicts a 124-117 New Orleans win with the Over.
- Support
- Pelican Post Game Report's Big Q expects New Orleans to get its first win in Utah, saying the Jazz are not a juggernaut.
- Caution
- Pick Dawgz lists reasons each side could win, citing the Pelicans' 10 straight losses as underdogs and the home team winning each of the Jazz's last six games, against New Orleans' eight straight night-game wins over Utah.
Still unverified
Dimers states that its projected score is the middle of a range, not a forecast of the exact result.