Atlanta Hawks vs New Orleans Pelicans Picks and Prediction for Saturday October 31 2026

The Smoothie King Center will play host to an NBA battle between the Atlanta Hawks and the New Orleans Pelicans. Tipoff is scheduled for Saturday October 31, 2026 at 7:00 pm EST. The game can be streamed on NBA League Pass. The Hawks are a 4.5 point road favorite and the total is set at 240.5. Be ready for all of this season's NBA action with our free NBA picks.

Atlanta connected on defense

The Atlanta Hawks were one of the hottest teams in the second half of last season and lost to eventual champion New York in the first round of the playoffs. The Hawks (3-3) have embraced a defensive identity for head coach Quin Snyder and are giving up 114.5 points per game. On Thursday, Atlanta was able to make the plays down the stretch to earn a 114-111 home victory versus Cleveland. 

Atlanta C Onyeka Okongwu led all scorers with 29 points on 11-for-17 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds. Nickeil Alexander-Walker knocked down 4-for-12 from long range and finished with 25 points. Aaron Wiggins added 20 points (8-14 FG) and seven rebounds off the bench for the Hawks. 

Through six games, Atlanta ranks seventh in the league in offensive efficiency (112.7) and is scoring a shade below 120 points per contest. During Thursday’s victory, the Hawks assisted on 34 of 42 made field goals and shot 44 percent overall. Atlanta outrebounded Cleveland by a 53-45 margin and trailed by as many as 15 points.

New Orleans going nowhere as a franchise

The New Orleans Pelicans have missed the playoffs in three of the previous four seasons and have just one playoff series victory since 2009. The Pelicans (1-4) have dropped their first two home games and reserve G Jordan Poole has already asked to be traded. Last night, New Orleans fell behind by 19 points after one quarter during a 104-91 home loss versus Denver. 

Former number one overall draft pick Zion Williamson tallied a game-high 25 points (10-14 FG), five rebounds, and three steals. The rest of the starting lineup combined for 30 points on a 12-for-33 shooting effort. Derik Queen added 11 points and 12 rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench for the Pelicans. 

Entering last night’s game, New Orleans ranked seventh in offensive efficiency and averaged 124.7 points. In the loss against the Nuggets, the Pelicans missed 23 of 30 three-point attempts and shot 41 percent overall. New Orleans turned the ball over 18 times which led to 19 Denver points.

Atlanta Hawks vs New Orleans Pelicans Picks and Prediction

Pick: Atlanta Hawks -4.5

New Orleans guards Jordan Poole (ankle) and Dejounte Murray (personal) did not suit up for Thursday’s game. Both are listed as day-to-day. The Hawks have defeated the Pelicans four straight times by an average margin of 15.3 points. New Orleans is 3-2 ATS, but will fall flat against a superior Atlanta squad. Lay the points with the Hawks.

Pick: Under 240.5

These two teams rank in the bottom six of the league in tempo. The Hawks have two of the best on ball defenders in basketball with Dyson Daniels and Lu Dort. Those two are physical enough to match Zion Williamson. Atlanta is 4-2 O/U and New Orleans owns a 3-2 O/U mark. Look for the Hawks to defend at a high level and keep this game under the total.

Final Score Prediction: Atlanta Hawks win 122-111