Memphis Grizzlies vs New Orleans Pelicans Prediction, 1/30/2026 Preview and Pick

Game: Memphis Grizzlies vs New Orleans Pelicans

Date: Friday, January 30, 2026

Location: Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA

TV: ESPN

The New Orleans Pelicans (12-37) will compete against the Memphis Grizzlies (18-27) at Smoothie King Center on Friday.

The Grizzlies faced off with the Hornets and took a loss by a final of 112-97 in their last contest. Memphis walked away from the game with a 45.7% field goal percentage (37 out of 81) and knocked down 14 of 40 3-pointers. From the charity stripe, the Grizzlies converted 9 of their 12 attempts for a rate of 75.0%. With regard to pulling down rebounds, they earned 29 with 8 of them being of the offensive variety. They also distributed 27 assists for the game in addition to forcing the other team into 20 turnovers and earning 10 steals. When talking about defense, Memphis allowed their opponent to shoot 48.9% from the floor on 44 out of 90 shooting. Charlotte totaled 25 dimes and had 5 steals in this game. On top of that, Charlotte grabbed 43 boards (13 offensive, 30 defensive) and had 7 blocked shots. Charlotte finished 87.5% from the charity stripe by knocking down 7 of their 8 tries. They also made 17 of 42 attempts from downtown. With respect to personal fouls, the Grizzlies ended up finishing with 10 and the Hornets totaled 11 personal fouls.

Jaren Jackson Jr. is someone who was a factor in this matchup. Jackson finished the contest at 50.0% from the floor and also recorded 4 assists. He was on the court for 33 minutes played and pulled down 4 boards. He ended up finishing with 26 points on 10 of 20 shooting.

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Memphis will enter this contest with a record of 18-27 on the season. They turn it over 15.4 times per game and as a squad they are committing 19.9 personal fouls per contest. As a team, Memphis is snagging 46.0 rebounds per game and has racked up 1,303 dimes this season, which ranks 9th in the league in terms of passing the ball. The Grizzlies are connecting on 34.7% on shots from beyond the arc (598 of 1,724) and 80.0% from the free throw line. They are averaging 114.8 pts per contest (20th in basketball) while going 45.4% from the field.

Defensively, the Grizzlies are able to force 14.8 turnovers per contest and they draw 20.4 fouls. They concede 35.8% on shots from beyond the perimeter and they are ranked 19th in basketball in PPG allowed (116.3). The Grizzlies are giving up and opponent field goal percentage of 46.2% (1,902 of 4,113) and they surrender 45.2 boards per contest as a group. They currently rank 10th in basketball in giving up assists to the opposition with 1,212 surrendered for the year.

When they last stepped on the court, the Pelicans went home defeated by a final of 104-95 against the Thunder. When it comes to cleaning the glass, New Orleans allowed Oklahoma City to get 53 overall (13 offensive). They finished 34.2% from beyond the perimeter by connecting on 13 out of 38 and ended up going 21 of 23 from the charity stripe (91.3%). The Pelicans allowed the Thunder to convert 35 out of their 87 attempts from the floor which gave them a rate of 40.2% in the matchup. When this game wrapped up, the Pelicans finished shooting 34 for 99 from the field which had them sitting at 34.3%. Pertaining to 3-point shots, New Orleans converted 10 out of their 40 tries (25.0%). They were able to knock down 17 of the free throw attempts for a percentage of 77.3%. The Thunder committed 15 fouls for this contest which took the Pelicans to the charity stripe for a total of 22 shots. They coughed up the ball 9 times, while earning 13 steals in this game. The Pelicans corralled 33 defensive boards and 21 offensive boards for a total of 54 in this matchup.

Zion Williamson ended up having an impact for the Pelicans in the matchup. Williamson racked up 21 points in his 34 minutes on the hardwood and earned 2 assists for the game. He knocked down 8 out of 11 in this matchup giving him a rate of 72.7%, and earned 11 rebounds.

New Orleans has a win-loss mark of 12-37 on the campaign. The Pelicans have committed 20.0 fouls per game while shooting 78.5% from the charity stripe. They are getting an assist 24.8 times per game (27th in basketball) and they lose possession via turnover 14.4 times per game. New Orleans has accumulated 5,607 pts this season (114.4 per contest) and they pull in 44.0 rebounds per game. When it comes to executing on offense, the Pelicans are connecting on 46.0% from the field, which has them ranked 24th in the NBA.

The Pelicans on the defensive side of the court are 28th in the league in PPG given up with 121.2. They are able to force 14.9 turnovers on a nightly basis and allow teams to shoot 48.3% from the field (25th in the NBA). The New Orleans defense concedes 35.9% on 3-point shots (724 of 2,016) and their opponents are making 78.0% of their shots from the charity stripe. They give up 28.7 dimes and 45.4 total boards per game, which is ranked 29th and 23rd in the league.

Who will win tonight's NBA game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Memphis

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