New Orleans Pelicans vs Charlotte Hornets Preview & Prediction – 2/2/2026

The Charlotte Hornets will host the New Orleans Pelicans in a Monday afternoon contest in the NBA. The Hornets have become an interesting story in pro basketball lately, winning six straight games and inching closer to postseason contention in the Eastern Conference. Can they continue their winning ways against the struggling Pelicans? I try to answer that question here with my Pelicans vs Hornets prediction in the betting markets.

Our Pelicans vs Hornets Pick

Pick:

Confidence: 3/5

Game Snapshot

• Matchup: New Orleans Pelicans @ Charlotte Hornets
• Date & Time: Monday, February 2, 2026, 7:00 PM ET
• Venue: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
• Broadcast: NBA League Pass

Key Storylines

• Charlotte form and health: The Hornets have won six straight games, most recently winning 111-106 over San Antonio, with LaMelo Ball orchestrating the Charlotte offense and Brandon Miller hitting important shots. Ball’s season averages sit at 19.1 points and 7.6 assists per game, and the rotation has benefited from Collin Sexton’s bench scoring.
• New Orleans outlook: The Pelicans enter at 13-38 with a 5-19 road record. Zion Williamson leads the Pelicans at 21.7 points per game, continuing to pressure the rim, and Herb Jones makes a two-way impact when healthy. Guard Dejounte Murray remains out with an Achilles injury, but the injury report is relatively clear for the Pels at this point in time.
• Series note: New Orleans won the first meeting between these teams this season on November 4, 116-112 at Smoothie King Center. This one decides whether Charlotte evens the two-game season series or New Orleans secures a sweep.
• Playoff implications: Postseason contention doesn’t look like it’s possible for the Pelicans at this point in time. But the Hornets are a game and a half behind the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference going into Monday’s play. A seventh win in a row would move them even closer to postseason basketball.

Betting Trends

• Charlotte is 29-21 against the spread this season, the third-best ATS record in the NBA.
• New Orleans is 28-22-1 against the spread going into Monday’s play.
• The over is 26-25 in Pelicans games so far this year.
• The Hornets have gone 30-20 to the under this season, with 60% of their games staying under the total.

Pelicans vs Hornets Model Projection

Final Thoughts

Jay Sanin

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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