New Orleans Pelicans vs Atlanta Hawks Prediction 1/7/2026 Today’s NBA Picks

The New Orleans Pelicans and the Atlanta Hawks duke it out at the State Farm Arena on Wednesday night. Here’s a New Orleans Pelicans vs Atlanta Hawks Prediction. This article will include a New Orleans Pelicans vs Atlanta Hawks Pick.

New Orleans Pelicans Betting Preview 

The New Orleans Pelicans have gone cold lately as they are now on an eight-game losing streak after falling short to the Lakers in a 111-103 loss last night. Trey Murphy III led the team with 42 points on 14 of 26 shooting, Zion Williamson added 15 points with five assists while Derik Queen chipped in with 10 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists.

As a team, the Pelicans shot 44 percent from the field and 10 of 40 from the 3-point line as they took the fight to the Lakers and poured in 32 points in the third quarter to take a nine-point lead. But just when it looked like they were about to pull away, the Lakers opened the fourth quarter on a decisive 18-4 run to snatch the game away. 

Atlanta Hawks Betting Preview 

Meanwhile, the Atlanta Hawks have been in a major slump as they’ve lost nine of their last 11 games overall and they will be hoping to bounce back after getting thrashed by the Raptors in a 118-100 road defeat on Monday. Onyeka Okongwu led the team with 17 points, 12 rebounds and four steals, Zaccharie Risacher added 16 points on seven of 11 shooting while Nickeil Alexander-Walker chipped in with 14 points. As a team, the Hawks shot just 39 percent from the field and 12 of 34 from the 3-point line as they struggled to keep pace with the Raptors from the tipoff and fell behind by 12 points going into halftime.

We kept waiting for the Hawks to make some sort of a comeback but their poor shooting meant that the deficit only grew as the game wore on. Kristaps Porzingis had a rough game as he shot just two of 12 from the field for his nine points off the bench. 

Why the Atlanta Hawks will win

• The Pelicans have lost each of their last eight games.
• The Hawks have won eight of their last nine games against Pelicans teams that held a losing record.
• The Hawks have covered the spread in each of their last six night games against Southwest Division opponents that held a losing record.
• The Pelicans have failed to cover the spread in nine of their last 10 road games on the second leg of a back-to-back against Eastern Conference opponents.

Why the New Orleans Pelicans will win

• The Hawks have lost four of their last five games as home favorites.
• The road team has won four of the last five games between the Pelicans and Hawks.
• The Hawks have failed to cover the spread in each of their last seven games as home favorites following a loss.
• The underdogs have covered the spread in each of the Hawks’ last five games at State Farm Arena.

Total Points Facts

• Seven of the Pelicans’ last eight night games against Southeast Division opponents have gone UNDER the total points line.
• Each of the Hawks’ last five night games against the Pelicans following a road loss have gone UNDER the total points line.

Atlanta Hawks Player Facts

• Nickeil Alexander-Walker ranks 3rd in the league for fast break points (145) this season.
• Onyeka Okongwu is one of only five qualified players in the league averaging at least 1.0 threes, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks this season.

New Orleans Pelicans Player Facts

• Jeremiah Fears is one of only five players in the league to have recorded 7+ steals in a game this season.
• Derik Queen is one of only five players to have made 8+ field goals without a miss in a game this season.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Hawks rank 2nd in the league for pace this season (102.5).
• The Hawks rank 28th in the league for Q4 win percentage this season (36.8%).
• The Pelicans rank 30th in the league for H2 win percentage this season (28.9%).
• The Pelicans rank 1st for points in the paint (2204) this season.

New Orleans Pelicans vs Atlanta Hawks Prediction

The Pelicans are still missing Dejounte Murray and Saddiq Bey, while the Hawks are keeping an eye on Trae Young who is questionable for this one. You really couldn’t back either side with any confidence at the moment as both teams are struggling. These teams have already met this season with the Hawks winning by 115-98 back on Nov 22, but even though they have the advantage of extra rest, it doesn’t seem right that the Hawks are favored by so much.

With that being said, the Pelicans were more than competitive against the Lakers last night, and I think they can at least keep this one to single digits in the end.

Peter Tran's Pick: New Orleans +9.5