San Antonio (1-0) vs New Orleans (0-1)
October 24, 2025 at 08:00 PM EDT
The Line: Betting Odds: New Orleans +3.5 — Over/Under: +231.5
The San Antonio Spurs and the New Orleans Pelicans duke it out at the Smoothie King Center on Friday night. Here’s a San Antonio Spurs vs New Orleans Pelicans Prediction. This article will include a San Antonio Spurs vs New Orleans Pelicans Pick.
San Antonio Spurs Betting Preview
The San Antonio Spurs will be aiming for a second straight victory after smashing the Mavericks in a dominant 125-92 road win on Wednesday night. Victor Wembenyama led the team with 40 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks on 15 of 21 shooting, Stephon Castle added 22 points with seven rebounds and six assists while Dylan Harper chipped in with 15 points off the bench.
As a team, the Spurs shot a sizzling 57 percent from the field and eight of 20 from the 3-point line. They leaned heavily on Wembenyama who put on a show and barely missed a shot as he filled up the stat sheet in just 30 minutes of action. On the defensive end, the Spurs did a great job of limiting the Mavericks to just 37 percent shooting from the field and they were relentless in the second half where they allowed just 41 points.
New Orleans Pelicans Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the New Orleans Pelicans will be looking to rebound in this matchup after getting beaten by the shorthanded Grizzlies in a 128-122 road defeat on Wednesday. Zion Williamson looked fantastic in his first outing as he led the team with 27 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and five steals on 10 of 21 shooting. Herbert Jones, Jordan Poole, and Jeremiah Fears each scored 17 points while Trey Murphy and Saddiq Bey scored 13 points apiece.
As a team, the Pelicans shot 45 percent from the field and 10 of 27 from the 3-point line as they looked to be in control after they poured in 67 points in the first half to lead by 15 points at one stage. However, they couldn’t hold onto their lead in the third quarter where they got outscored by an incredible 41-22 as they had no answer for the Grizzlies’ due of Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Why the New Orleans Pelicans will win
- The Spurs have lost each of their last 10 road games following a road win.
- The Pelicans have won six of their last seven home games against the Spurs.
- The Spurs have failed to cover the spread in each of their last six games against Western Conference opponents after winning as underdogs.
- The Pelicans have covered the spread in six of their last seven games against the Spurs at Smoothie King Center.
Why the San Antonio Spurs will win
- The Pelicans have lost each of their last eight games against teams that held a winning record.
- The favorites have won each of the Pelicans’ last eight games at Smoothie King Center.
- The Pelicans have failed to cover the spread in each of their last five games.
- The favorites have covered the spread in six of the Pelicans’ last seven games.
Total Points Facts
- Seven of the Pelicans’ last eight games at Smoothie King Center have gone UNDER the total points line.
- Six of the Spurs’ last seven road games against Southwest Division opponents have gone UNDER the total points line.
New Orleans Pelicans Player Facts
- Herb Jones ranks T1st amongst qualified players for FT% (100.0%) this season.
- Jordan Hawkins ranks T1st amongst qualified players for FT% (100.0%) this season.
San Antonio Spurs Player Facts
- Devin Vassell ranks T4th in the league for fast break points (9) this season.
- Stephon Castle ranks 8th in the league for fast break points (8) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Pelicans rank T1st in the league for Q2 win percentage this season (100.0%).
- The Pelicans rank T1st in the league for Q4 win percentage this season (100.0%).
- The Spurs rank 1st in the league for field goal percentage this season (57.5%).
- The Spurs rank 1st in the league for opponent field goal percentage this season (37.3%).
San Antonio Spurs vs New Orleans Pelicans Prediction
The Spurs are still missing some key players with De’Aaron Fox, Jeremy Sochan, and Kelly Olynyk all ruled out, while the Pelicans have ruled out Dejounte Murray. They are keeping eyes on Karlo Matkovic and Yves Missi, who are both questionable. These two squads split four meetings last season with three of those games being decided by six points or fewer so we could be in for another close contest.
The Pelicans might be tempting as the slight underdogs at home, but I can’t go past these Spurs after what I saw from Wembenyama in their season opener. The Pelicans are an improvement from what they showed us last season, but I am sticking with the Spurs to take care of business on the road in this one.