New Orleans Pelicans vs Utah Jazz Prediction, 2/26/2026 Preview and Pick

Game: New Orleans Pelicans vs Utah Jazz

Date: Thursday, February 26, 2026

Location: Delta Center in Salt Lake City, UT

TV: KJZZ

The New Orleans Pelicans (17-42) are hitting the road to Delta Center on Thursday where they will meet the Utah Jazz (18-40).

The Pelicans played the Warriors and took home the win by a score of 113-109 in their last contest. With respect to fouls, the Pelicans finished with 19 and the Warriors accumulated 21 fouls. They knocked down 11 of 45 tries from beyond the perimeter. Golden State finished shooting 78.3% from the free throw line by converting 18 of their 23 tries. Additionally, Golden State had 59 boards (21 offensive, 38 defensive) and had 9 blocks. Golden State distributed 26 dimes and had 8 steals for this game. In relation to defending, New Orleans allowed the other team to shoot 41.2% from the floor on 40 of 97 shooting. They also recorded 20 assists in the game as well as creating 21 turnovers and earning 12 steals. When talking about hauling in boards, they collected 53 with 21 of them being on the offensive end. From the free throw line, the Pelicans made 17 of their 23 tries for a rate of 73.9%. New Orleans finished having earned a 42.6% field goal percentage (43 of 101) and made 10 out of their 40 3-point attempts.

Saddiq Bey is one guy who was a major factor for the matchup. He walked away with 18 points on 6 out of 13 shooting. He saw the court for 31 mins played and collected 6 boards. Bey shot 46.2% from the floor and also recorded 1 assist.

Get all of our NBA Expert Picks

New Orleans steps onto the court with a record of 17-42 on the campaign. They cough up possession 14.2 times per contest and as a team are committing 19.9 personal fouls on a nightly basis. As a unit, New Orleans is collecting 43.7 boards per game and has earned 1,468 dimes so far this year, which ranks 19th in the NBA in terms of passing the rock. The Pelicans are shooting 34.4% on 3-point shots (657 of 1,912) and 78.2% from the free throw line. They are averaging 114.8 pts per game (20th in the league) while connecting on 46.3% from the field.

On the defensive end, the Pelicans are able to force 14.8 turnovers per contest while drawing 20.1 personal fouls. They are 28th in basketball in giving up assists with 1,652 conceded on the campaign. The Pelicans defensively are giving up a FG percentage of 47.8% (2,581 of 5,405) and they concede 46.1 rebounds per game as a team. They are giving up 35.1% from 3-point land while they are 26th in the NBA in opponents points per game (120.4).

For their last game, the Jazz took a defeat with a final score of 125-105 when they faced the Rockets. In the matter of team rebounding, Utah allowed Houston to collect 53 in all (10 offensive). They shot 45.0% from distance via 18 of 40 and ended up shooting 9 out of 11 at the free throw line (81.8%). The Jazz allowed the Rockets to convert 49 of their 86 attempts from the field which left them with a shooting percentage of 57.0% in this matchup. In all, the Jazz went 36 for 98 from the field which had them shooting 36.7%. In the matter of shots from 3-point land, Utah knocked down 8 of their 44 tries (18.2%). They were able to convert 25 of them for a rate of 83.3%. The Rockets were called for 20 fouls in this matchup which got the Jazz to the free throw line for a total of 30 attempts. They turned it over 12 times, while earning 17 steals for this game. The Jazz were able to corral 23 defensive boards and 13 offensive boards for a total of 36 in the game.

Lauri Markkanen ended up having an impact for the Jazz in this game. Markkanen earned 29 points in his 32 minutes on the hardwood and earned 2 dimes in the game. He made 10 out of 23 in the matchup for a field goal percentage of 43.5%, and had 3 rebounds.

Utah has a mark of 18-40 for the season. The Jazz are committing 21.8 personal fouls every game and they go 79.7% from the charity stripe. They are getting an assist 29.9 times per contest (2nd in the league) and they lose possession via turnover 15.9 times per contest. Utah has tallied 6,842 points for the season (118.0 per contest) and they grab 44.2 rebounds per game. When it comes to executing on offense, the Jazz are hitting on 46.7% from the field, which is 16th in the NBA.

The Jazz on defense are ranked 30th in basketball in points given up per game with 125.9. They are forcing their opponents into 14.0 turnovers per game and have let teams shoot 48.9% from the floor (28th in the league). The Utah defense allows 37.3% on shots from beyond the arc (899 of 2,412) and their opponents are making 77.3% of their free throw shots. They have given up 30.3 assists and 45.1 total boards per game, ranking them 30th and 21st in the league.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take New Orleans

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Get NBA picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.