New Orleans Pelicans vs Memphis Grizzlies Prediction & Picks – 1/23/2026

The New Orleans Pelicans will visit the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday in a matchup between two struggling teams in the Western Conference. Both teams are under the .500 mark for the season and on the outside looking in when it comes to the Western Conference playoff picture. One team has to win this matchup, though, and I try to answer which team that will be as I make my Pelicans vs Grizzlies prediction below.

Our Pelicans vs Grizzlies Pick

Game Snapshot

• Matchup: New Orleans Pelicans @ Memphis Grizzlies
• Date & Time: Friday, January 23, 2026, 8:00 PM ET
• Venue: FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
• Broadcast: NBA League Pass

Key Storylines

The Pelicans enter this contest on a three-game losing streak, with their shooting struggles evident in recent losses to Detroit and Houston. Zion Williamson has battled illness and there are multiple Pelicans listed as out. That injured list is made up of key rotation pieces such as Jose Alvarado, Herbert Jones, and Dejounte Murray, who is still unavailable with a long-term Achilles issue. These absences have severely limited New Orleans’ playmaking ability on both ends of the floor. New Orleans has been especially bad on the road, entering this contest at 3-17 away from Smoothie King Center.

The Grizzlies have faced their own availability issues with multiple key players sidelined, including Ja Morant being ruled out for this game with an elbow sprain. Memphis has seen other contributors like Ty Jerome, Santi Aldama, Brandon Clarke, and Scotty Pippen Jr. unavailable or questionable. Despite these setbacks, the Grizzlies showed they can compete without Morant recently, with contributions from players such as Jaren Jackson Jr. keeping them afloat. Jackson Jr. continues to lead Memphis’ scoring efforts while continuing to play some of the best interior defense in the NBA.

Head-to-Head & Betting Trends

• The Grizzlies are 2-0 against the Pelicans so far this season.
• New Orleans is 24-21-1 against the spread so far this season.
• Memphis is 18-24 against the spread heading into Friday night’s game.
• The under is 24-18 in Grizzlies games to this point in the year.
• The Pelicans are 24-22 to the over in their games so far this season.

Pelicans vs Grizzlies 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.