New Orleans Pelicans at San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, January 14 looks like a mismatch on paper. Our ratings give the Spurs about a 89% chance, and the Pelicans would need an unusual night to change that.
Why the gap is wide
The Win Meter reads the Spurs 89%, with a projected score of New Orleans Pelicans 107, San Antonio Spurs 120. The rating gap is 264 points in favor of the Spurs, and home court and rest add about 101 rating points for the Spurs on top of that.
A reading this high has real meaning, but upsets of this size happen. Nearly one game in 9 like it goes the other way.
Recent form
The Pelicans are 0-2 this season and 1-4 in their last 5 games, with an average margin of -3.4. The Spurs are 0-2 this season and 1-4 in their last 5 games, with an average margin of -3.4.
The Pelicans' best recent win was 156-137 at home against UTA.
The Pelicans were beaten 144-118 on the road by BOS not long ago.
Injuries to watch
Out: Yves Missi (NOP), expected back Oct 28, 2026, Malik Dia (NOP), Jaron Pierre Jr. (NOP), Jayden Quaintance (SAS), expected back Dec 3, 2026, and Tobias Harris (SAS), expected back Oct 27, 2026.
Day to day or questionable: Julian Reese (NOP). Their status can change before tip-off.
The season series
In our records of recent meetings, the Spurs lead 5-3, with the Pelicans outscoring the Spurs by an average of 1.2 points per game. The last meeting was NOP 104, SAS 95.