The New Orleans Pelicans will play their second Eastern Conference road game in a row when they face the Detroit Pistons at 7 p.m. EST. New Orleans looks to be ready for the offseason, having been officially eliminated from playoff contention earlier in the week. The Pistons could not be further from that situation, sitting in the first seed in the East, a position they will look to maintain throughout the 10 regular-season games they have left.
A close game against the New York Knicks continued to show that the Pelicans are better than their record shows. Head coach James Borrego’s small-ball approach has allowed New Orleans to stay in game after game against far more talented teams, utilizing a healthy season from forward Zion Williamson to do so. There are no moral victories in professional sports, but all things considered, losing in a competitive fashion is not so bad for New Orleans, seeing as it allows it to continue to improve its draft status.
The Pistons have played five games without star guard Cade Cunningham, managing to win four of them, including a contest against the Los Angeles Lakers. However, this contest has the potential to be the toughest mental test of the stretch. Detroit is coming off a brutal loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, one that saw them erase an 18-point halftime deficit to force overtime before the Pistons ultimately fell short by a single point. The emotional swings of that game, combined with the fact that this contest is the second leg of a back-to-back, should make even the mediocre Pelicans a challenge.
Pelicans +4.5 (-101)Pistons -4.5 (-107)Pelicans +174Pistons -188Over 226 (-105)Under 226 (-105)
Note: The above data was collected on March 26, 2026, and may have changed since writing.
Pelicans vs Pistons Betting TrendsNew Orleans is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 games.The Pelicans failed to cover in their lone game against the Pistons earlier this year.The under is 6-4 in New Orleans’ last 10.Detroit has gone 3-2 ATS in its last five games.The Pistons are only 17-19 ATS when playing at home.The under is 3-2 in Detroit’s last five games.Pelicans vs Pistons Injury ReportsDejounte Murray, G – Questionable.Trey Murphy III, G – Questionable.Bryce McGowens, F – Out.Cade Cunningham, G – Out.Marcus Sasser, G – Out.Isaiah Stewart, C – Out.Pelicans vs Pistons Prediction and Pick
New Orleans has a couple of key players on the injury report, but the books expect both of them to play. Assuming that is the case, taking the Pelicans to find another cover is a wise move. The Pistons have played four games in six days, including the aforementioned overtime matchup with the Hawks. With a couple of injuries forcing more minutes on those healthy, fans should see plenty of heavy legs trudging up the court for Detroit. New Orleans will take advantage by keeping things close and covering.