The New Orleans Pelicans (8-31) and Washington Wizards (10-26) will face off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET from Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. The game will broadcast live on Gulf Coast Sports.
The Pelicans are 2.5-point favorites over the Wizards on the spread (Pelicans -2.5), with the over/under set at 242 total points. New Orleans is a -135 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Washington is +115 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Pelicans vs. Wizards predictions and NBA picks for Friday, January 9.
Pelicans vs Wizards Prediction
- Pelicans vs Wizards pick: Zion Williamson Over 24.5 Points (-140)
My Wizards vs Pelicans best bet is on Zion Williamson over 24.5 points, with the best price currently available at bet365. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Pelicans vs Wizards Odds
| Pelicans Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2.5 -110 | 242 -110o / -110u | -135 |
| Wizards Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2.5 -110 | 242 -110o / -110u | +115 |
Pelicans vs Wizards NBA Preview
I'm looking at Zion Williamson Over 24.5 points. This is a fantastic matchup for the New Orleans forward against Washington.
The Wizards defense isn't great, obviously, and if you trade a couple of guys away, that changes some of the dynamics in the locker room. It also changes some of the rotations and things get a little bit funky, even though CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert weren't the best players necessarily on the team, although it's arguable that McCollum might have been.
However, I do think it changes some of the dynamics and the communication on defense, which is crucial to stop a player like Williamson from going to the rack.
The thing about the Wizards is that they just bleed points on the interior. They're not a good team defending the three-point line, but they're also not a good team at defending the rim.
Zion basically takes all of his shots from within 10 feet of the basket and 81% of his shots at the rim. So I think it's just a fantastic matchup for him.
Pelicans vs Wizards Prediction, Betting Analysis
Zion Williamson has had some interesting matchups lately against the Hawks and Lakers, so I like this opportunity for him.
Looking back, he hasn't played the Wizards since February 2024. In that game, two seasons ago, he scored 36 points. It might not matter now, but you know he's comfortable playing against Washington.
We've also seen some other guys that are similar in terms of their ability to get to the rim late, namely Giannis Antetokounmpo, who just smoked Washington on relatively limited minutes: 33 points in 28 minutes.
This is a great spot for Zion.
Pick: Zion Williamson Over 24.5 (-140, bet365)
