Memphis Grizzlies vs New Orleans Pelicans Picks and Prediction for Friday November 13 2026

Memphis heads to New Orleans on Friday night for an 8 PM ET matchup against the Pelicans at Smoothie King Center. Both of these teams have already faced off against each other this month with the Pelicans pulling out a thrilling win in a high scoring affair by a score of 135-134. Since that win the Pelicans have not done really that great as they allowed the Brooklyn Nets to put in 145 points on Wednesday night. The good news for the Pelicans fans is the Grizzlies also dropped a game on Wednesday, but it was against the Denver Nuggets and had a final score of 123-118. Be ready for the NBA season with our free NBA picks. 

Memphis Has Been Scoring Plenty

The Grizzlies are coming to the game here with a 7-4 record overall.  The last game for the Grizzlies was a loss to the Nuggets, but it came after Memphis getting an impressive 16 point win over the Raptors on Monday. In their last 5 games, though, the Memphis team has struggled and is sitting on a 2-3 mark. 

With the offense the Grizzlies are getting 117.9 points a game. The defense for Memphis has been playing good giving up only 110.8 points a game. The nice aspect for Memphis is their shooting is doing really good by NBA standards and is landing 55% of the shots on the day. Memphis is also a team that has been able to pull down the boards at a top tier level in the NBA this season. 

Memphis has been a rounded team with the production being balanced between both the front and back court. Ty Jerome has helped run the offense and get the plays set. Zach Edey provides size around the basket to keep the opponents big men at bay.. Scotty Pippen Jr. remains sidelined with a back injury, and Richie Saunders has been dealing with a knee problem. Quinten Post has also been listed as unavailable for play recently, while Isaiah Stewart’s knee status is not really being updated much lately.

New Orleans Has Been Giving Up Points in Bunches

The Pelicans are 4-8 and have dropped three straight games. Wednesday’s 145-111 loss to Brooklyn was ugly and showcased a defense that is continuing to collapse. This comes on the heels of a game that New Orleans lost 138-87 at Golden State on Monday which followed another horrible defensive showing against the Clippers by a score of 139-123.

New Orleans is putting in a total of 117.5 points per game and the defensive failures are ones that are showing up with a team average of  122.4. On the plus side the Pelicans have been able to get to the foul line on a regular basis, but the downside is when the Pelicans are shooting beyond the arc the shots are just not landing. Then to make matters worse the Pelicans are not getting the glass cleaned up on a regular basis. 

Zion Williamson is still one of the best offensive options for New Orleans, while Trey Murphy III has been out and having to cope with a knee injury. The Pelicans have also been missing Yves Missi because of a knee problem and Trendon Watford with an ankle injury. Bennedict Mathurin has been a recent addition on the injury report as he has a thumb injury.

Memphis Grizzlies vs New Orleans Pelicans Picks and Prediction

Pick: Memphis Grizzlies

Memphis is my choice here. New Orleans has given up 422 points in three games, and now the Pelicans have to face a team averaging nearly 118 points a night. The Grizzlies lost the first meeting by one point, so there’s no reason to expect them to be intimidated by playing in New Orleans. The Pelicans can score, and Williamson is capable of making life difficult around the basket. But Memphis has been better defensively and has done a stronger job on the glass. I’ll take the Grizzlies to win and would consider laying up to four points.

Total Pick: Over

New Orleans has allowed 139, 138 and 145 points in its last three games. Memphis scored 134 against the Pelicans earlier this month. Both teams have been playing at a fairly quick pace, and New Orleans has been one of the league’s weakest defensive teams. Memphis could slow the game down if it builds a comfortable lead, but I don’t see the Pelicans suddenly fixing all their defensive problems in two days. The over is my choice at 237 or lower.

Final Picks: Memphis Grizzlies -4 or Better and Over 237 or Lower