Memphis is the only team in the NBA without a road loss, and it walks into a New Orleans building where the home team has been dismantled four games running.
Quick take:
- Pick: Over 235.5 total points
- Why: New Orleans has allowed 138 or more in three straight games, and both teams are missing rim protection.
- The number to watch: 120.5 points allowed per 100 possessions by the Pelicans, third worst in the league.
The Memphis Grizzlies (7-4) visit the New Orleans Pelicans (4-8) on Friday, November 13, at Smoothie King Center, with tip-off set for 8:00 PM ET. It is an NBA Cup game, so the stakes are a little higher than a typical November Friday.
The two teams already played once this season, and it was chaotic. New Orleans won 135-134 in overtime in Memphis on November 2, ending the Grizzlies’ 6-0 start. Eleven days later, the Pelicans look like a very different team, and not in a good way.
Grizzlies Favored, but the Total Is the Real Story
Memphis is a 3.5-point road favorite at most books, with a moneyline around -158 for the Grizzlies and +133 for the Pelicans. The game total sits at 235.5. The Grizzlies have gone over in just five of their 12 games with a set total, while New Orleans has hit the over in seven of its 12, so the market is already pricing in an offense-friendly night and the question is whether it has gone far enough. Anyone looking to bet the spread or total can compare a DraftKings promo code offer before locking in a number.
| Friday, November 13 at 8:10 PM | Spread | Money | Total |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 
-3.5 (-115) | 
-162 |
O 235.5 (-108) |
| New Orleans Pelicans |
+3.5 (-113) |
+146 |
U 234.5 (-108) |
Recent Form
The records tell one story and the last week tells another. Memphis has lost four of its last five, but all of those losses came against Indiana, Oklahoma City, Denver and New Orleans, while New Orleans is on a four-game slide of its own.
| DATE | OPP | CLOSE | RESULT | ATS/OU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 12, 2026 | Denver Nuggets | +5.5 / 233.5 | Lost 118-123 | Won / Over |
| Nov 10, 2026 | @Toronto Raptors | -1.5 / 224.5 | Won 102-118 | Won / Under |
| Nov 10, 2026 | @Toronto Raptors | -4.5 / 223.5 | Won 102-118 | Won / Under |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Oklahoma City Thunder | +5.5 / 228.5 | Lost 97-128 | Lost / Under |
| Nov 5, 2026 | Indiana Pacers | -5.5 / 230.5 | Lost 103-107 | Lost / Under |
| Nov 3, 2026 | New Orleans Pelicans | -6.5 / 229.5 | Lost 134-135 | Lost / Over |
| Nov 1, 2026 | Sacramento Kings | -4.5 / 226.5 | Won 136-105 | Won / Over |
| Oct 30, 2026 | @Portland Trail Blazers | +7.5 / 237.5 | Won 103-124 | Won / Under |
| Oct 27, 2026 | @Utah Jazz | -1.5 / 239.5 | Won 105-110 | Won / Under |
| Oct 24, 2026 | @Golden State Warriors | +4.5 / 237.5 | Won 108-111 | Won / Under |
| DATE | OPP | CLOSE | RESULT | ATS/OU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 12, 2026 | Brooklyn Nets | -3.5 / 230.5 | Lost 111-145 | Lost / Over |
| Nov 10, 2026 | @Golden State Warriors | +14.5 / 231.5 | Lost 138-87 | Lost / Under |
| Nov 9, 2026 | @Los Angeles Clippers | +1.5 / 226.5 | Lost 139-123 | Lost / Over |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Minnesota Timberwolves | +8.5 / 234.5 | Lost 109-115 | Won / Under |
| Nov 5, 2026 | Utah Jazz | -8.5 / 232.5 | Won 120-113 | Lost / Over |
| Nov 3, 2026 | @Memphis Grizzlies | +6.5 / 229.5 | Won 134-135 | Won / Over |
| Oct 31, 2026 | Atlanta Hawks | +4.5 / 236.5 | Won 121-99 | Won / Under |
| Oct 30, 2026 | Sacramento Kings | -8.5 / 234.5 | Won 132-120 | Won / Over |
| Oct 29, 2026 | Denver Nuggets | +6.5 / 243.5 | Lost 91-104 | Lost / Under |
| Oct 25, 2026 | @Denver Nuggets | +11.5 / 240.5 | Lost 141-135 | Won / Over |
Showing 10 of last 10 meetings
| DATE | TEAM | OPP | CLOSE | RESULT | ATS/OU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 3, 2026 | Memphis Grizzlies | @New Orleans Pelicans | -6.5 / 229.5 | Lost 134-135 | Lost / Over |
| Mar 9, 2025 | New Orleans Pelicans | @Memphis Grizzlies | +9.5 / 239.5 | Lost 104-107 | Won / Under |
| Jan 25, 2025 | Memphis Grizzlies | @New Orleans Pelicans | -9.5 / 243.5 | Won 139-126 | Won / Over |
| Dec 28, 2024 | New Orleans Pelicans | @Memphis Grizzlies | +7.5 / 238.5 | Lost 124-132 | Lost / Over |
| Nov 29, 2024 | Memphis Grizzlies | @New Orleans Pelicans | -11.5 / 232.5 | Won 120-109 | Lost / Under |
| Feb 13, 2024 | Memphis Grizzlies | @New Orleans Pelicans | +9.5 / 221 | Lost 87-96 | Won / Under |
| Dec 27, 2023 | New Orleans Pelicans | @Memphis Grizzlies | -5 / 229 | Lost 115-116 | Lost / Over |
| Dec 20, 2023 | New Orleans Pelicans | @Memphis Grizzlies | -9 / 229.5 | Lost 113-115 | Lost / Under |
| Oct 26, 2023 | Memphis Grizzlies | @New Orleans Pelicans | -1 / 224.5 | Lost 104-111 | Lost / Under |
| Apr 6, 2023 | New Orleans Pelicans | @Memphis Grizzlies | -6.5 / 226 | Won 138-131 | Won / Over |
Two Defenses and Two Thin Frontcourts
Start with New Orleans, because the defensive numbers are alarming. The Pelicans have allowed 138 or more points in each of their last three games. Golden State beat them by 51 in a franchise-record loss, and Brooklyn, a 3-8 team, scored 145 on them Wednesday while hitting 20 threes and leading 83-66 at halftime. On the season, New Orleans gives up 120.5 points per 100 possessions, and opponents are shooting a .571 effective field-goal percentage against it.
The injury report does not help. Trey Murphy III has missed two straight games with knee soreness and is listed day-to-day again. Bennedict Mathurin (thumb), Yves Missi (knee) and Bryce McGowens (elbow) are all day-to-day, and Trendon Watford (ankle) is out. Zion Williamson is carrying the load at 21.7 points per game after a 29-point night against Brooklyn.
New Orleans has surrendered 138 or more points in three consecutive games, and Memphis has hit 16 and 17 threes in its last two.
Memphis is thin up front too. Quinten Post is in concussion protocol, and Zach Edey has been managed for his ankle. That leaves Zion with fewer big bodies to deal with in the paint, and it is the main reason this game could stay close.
Ty Jerome is the engine for Memphis at 26.2 points per game, and he scored 40 against the Pelicans in the first meeting. Rookie Cameron Boozer adds 9.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists a night, and Jaylen Wells and Cam Spencer provide the shooting to punish a defense that keeps leaving people open. Cedric Coward, the long guard-forward wearing number 23, is the kind of secondary piece who can swing a game from the wing when the stars draw attention.
Turnovers are the wild card. Memphis gives it away 16.4 times a game, and New Orleans averages 10.3 steals. Live-ball turnovers lead to fast-break points, and fast-break points push totals over.
Efficiency also favors the visitors. Memphis sits at plus-6.0 per 100 possessions, and New Orleans is at minus-7.1. That gap is bigger than the 3.5-point spread, which is why the favorite looks sound, but the leaky defense on the other side is why the over appeals more.
Prediction and Best Bet
Memphis should win this one. The Grizzlies are 5-0 on the road, the Pelicans are missing most of their supporting cast, and the defense has fallen apart. The question is how many points get scored, and with two short-handed frontcourts, a Memphis team that keeps finding threes, and a New Orleans defense allowing 138-plus lately, the total looks like the sharper play. Fans shopping for the best price on the number can also check a Fanatics Sportsbook promo before tip-off.
The pick:
- Prediction: Memphis Grizzlies 124, New Orleans Pelicans 116
- Best Bet: Over 235.5 total points
A projected combined score of 240 clears the number by a few points, and a defense giving up 138 and more is the best reason to trust it.
