New Orleans Pelicans vs Washington Wizards Prediction & Picks - 1/9/2026
Updated January 9, 2026
Updated January 9, 2026
The Washington Wizards and New Orleans Pelicans will meet in the NBA on Friday night. Normally, this would be a game to avoid watching at all costs, given how bad these two teams have been this season. But with the Wizards making headlines in the trade market going into this matchup, there is some renewed intrigue to be found here. Before tip-off from Washington, continue reading for my Pelicans vs Wizards prediction.
Pick: | Wizards Moneyline |
Confidence: | 3/5 |
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New Orleans comes into Friday’s game with a dismal 8-31 record and a four-game road losing streak, in what has been a season full of setbacks and inconsistencies. The Pelicans have suffered through injuries to multiple key contributors, including Dejounte Murray, Saddiq Bey, and Trey Murphy III, with Herbert Jones also listed as doubtful and Jose Alvarado as day-to-day. Zion Williamson remains the focal point of their offense, scoring around 22.4 points per game when he is healthy. Jordan Poole has been a steady secondary scoring option, averaging double figures over the last 10 outings. Despite their struggles, the Pelicans’ scoring ability still ranks among the more potent offenses in the league when at their best.
Washington has a 10-26 record and has shown signs of life recently, going 3-2 in its last five games overall. They traded CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert for Trae Young over the last couple of days, which should inject some much-needed excitement into the team and its fans in 2026. However, injuries continue to nibble at Washington’s rotation, with Cam Whitmore and Kyshawn George sidelined. Young is also listed as questionable with a quad ailment that kept him out of action at the end of his time with the Hawks.
Player | Prop |
|---|---|
Zion Williamson | Over 25.5 Points |
Alex Sarr | Over 8.5 Rebounds |
Tre Johnson | Over 14.5 Points |
Score Projection: Pelicans 117 – Wizards 118
Win Probability: Pelicans 50%, Wizards 50%
I don't think we will see Trae Young make his debut with the Wizards tonight, but it is possible. Either way, I think we see an energized Wizards team on the floor in this contest. I think there is some value on the Wizards to win this game as a slight underdog on the moneyline, as they should make life difficult on the struggling Pels simply by being the team with more energy following the trade.
Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.
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