New Orleans Pelicans vs Brooklyn Nets – Free NBA pick and predictions – January 14, 2026

New Orleans Pelicans – Brooklyn Nets: bottom-dwellers duel

Pelicans vs Nets. The West cellar hosts the East cellar. Not exactly the night’s must-see, obviously. Still, don’t write this one off — a few factors could make it more interesting than it looks. One thing’s certain: both teams desperately need a win to lift the mood.

New Orleans Pelicans: get back on their feet against a winnable opponent

Everything’s gone sideways for the Pelicans: 11 losses in their last 12 and rock bottom in the Western Conference. James Borrego’s crew aren’t getting blown out every night — see the 116-122 loss in Denver — but a loss is a loss. New Orleans has no reason to tank; the Hawks own their 2026 first-round pick. That tells you all you need to know about the mess they’re in.

At home NOLA is marginally better, with six of their nine wins coming there. They’ll still be without Jose Alvarado and, of course, Dejounte Murray. The upside: Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III can show up healthy. Against Brooklyn, one of the league’s better defenses, their scoring will decide everything. Their real problem? Defense. Allowing 122.4 points a night makes winning damn near impossible.

Brooklyn Nets: stop the losing skid

Brooklyn can’t get it done right now. Seven losses in eight. Any Play-In hopes (if they ever existed) are fading fast. The Nets often rely on defense to stay in games and hide offensive flaws, but lately they haven’t been limiting opponents. During this skid they’ve given up 118+ points four times — well above their usual ~114 per game.

Against the Pelicans they must find answers for Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III, two serious scoring threats. If New Orleans forces an up-and-down shootout instead of a grind, Michael Porter Jr and Cam Thomas will need to deliver the points. Both have shown they can explode for big scoring nights. That could be the difference if Brooklyn wants a chance.

NBA Pick New Orleans Pelicans vs Brooklyn Nets

Pelicans to win

Even if the Nets are sound defensively, the Pelicans will want to lift the crowd and they have offensive weapons that could give Brooklyn trouble. Jordi Fernandez’s side struggles on the road and could be dragged into a scoring contest by New Orleans — a game they might struggle to keep up with.

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