New Orleans Pelicans vs Orlando Magic Picks and Predictions – January 11, 2026
The Orlando Magic host the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night at Kia Center with tipoff set for 6:00 PM ET. The Magic (24-16) are establishing themselves as a serious threat in the East with elite defense and growing offensive chemistry. The Pelicans (21-19) have slipped into play-in range in the West after back-to-back losses and now face another tough road test.
Orlando is laying 6.5 at home, with a total set at 234. That’s a relatively high number for a Magic team known for pace control—but New Orleans tends to push tempo and has been leaky defensively on the road. This is a tricky spot, with contrasting styles and a wide margin on the spread.
New Orleans Pelicans vs Orlando Magic Odds
Below are the current betting lines for Pelicans vs Magic. Stay sharp with the latest NBA odds for real-time movement and injury updates.
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Pelicans | +211 | +6.5 (-110) | O 234 (-110) |
| Orlando Magic | -255 | -6.5 (-111) | U 234 (-110) |
New Orleans Pelicans Betting Form
New Orleans has been shaky lately. They’re just 2–4 SU and ATS over their last six, with defensive lapses piling up—allowing 120+ in four of those contests. Zion Williamson is still a mismatch problem, but the Pelicans’ ball movement has stalled, and their perimeter defense continues to break down too easily.
The offense can explode, no doubt. But shot selection varies, and too many empty possessions have killed momentum during second halves. CJ McCollum’s return helps steady things, but they’re giving up too many open looks from three and have struggled closing out games.
Road form has been below average—8–12 SU—and this is a tough spot against one of the league’s most physical and disciplined teams. Make sure to check the New Orleans Pelicans injury report before locking in anything.
You can explore more data and recent results on the New Orleans Pelicans team page.
Orlando Magic Betting Form
The Magic are one of the league’s top ATS teams, especially at home. They’ve covered in five of their last six at Kia Center and continue to play with a defensive identity that travels. Orlando ranks top 5 in points allowed, opponent FG%, and paint defense. With Jalen Suggs healthy and Franz Wagner back in rhythm, this group is locked in.
Offensively, they don’t take a ton of threes, but they draw fouls and crash the offensive glass with intensity. Paolo Banchero continues to emerge as a reliable closer, and the second unit has provided enough to maintain leads—something they struggled with earlier in the year.
The spread feels fair, but you’ll want to double-check the Orlando Magic injury report for late updates.
Visit the full Orlando Magic schedule and stats page for trends and matchup history.
New Orleans Pelicans vs Orlando Magic Matchup Breakdown
This is all about discipline. Orlando forces you into tough shots, limits transition looks, and wins the physicality battle. That’s been a tough formula for the Pelicans lately—especially when Zion can’t get easy post touches and their ball movement stalls.
Shot profile favors Orlando. The Magic take more shots near the rim, win the free-throw battle, and rank top 10 in second-chance points. The Pelicans, meanwhile, rely heavily on midrange scoring and have struggled against elite interior defenses.
Matchup keys:
- Magic 15–5 ATS at home this season
- Pelicans giving up 38.9% from 3 over their last 10
- Orlando ranks 3rd in defensive rating
- Pelicans just 4–10 ATS vs teams over .500
Unless the Pelicans get hot from deep or dominate the glass, they’ll likely struggle to keep this close late.
New Orleans Pelicans vs Orlando Magic Predictions and Best Bets
Orlando is just the sharper team right now—defensively, in effort, and in execution. At home, with rest and momentum, they’re the right side here. The number isn’t cheap, but it’s justified. New Orleans hasn’t shown enough consistency to back them in this spot.
The total is a tougher call. 234 is high for a Magic game, but with the Pelicans’ recent defensive collapse, there’s a path to the Over if Orlando gets into the 120s. Still, I lean slightly under based on tempo and how the Magic grind games down when ahead.
Banchero props and Magic team total overs are worth a look too.
Best Bet: Magic -6.5 (-111).
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