Pelicans vs Hornets Free Pick, NBA Free Pick & Predictions 2/2/25

J.A. Cavalier
1 day ago
2 min read

NBA ODDS, NBA PREDICTIONS, NBA PREVIEWS

Pelicans vs Hornets Free Pick

The New Orleans Pelicans travel to the Spectrum Center on Monday afternoon to face a Charlotte Hornets team that has quietly emerged as one of the hotter squads in the Eastern Conference. At 13–38, New Orleans continues to struggle for traction, particularly away from home, where the Pelicans have managed just five wins all season.

Charlotte, meanwhile, enters this matchup playing its best basketball of the year. The Hornets have won nine of their last twelve games, showing marked improvement on both ends of the floor and displaying a level of cohesion that has transformed them into a difficult out, especially at home. Their recent success has been driven by improved defensive discipline, controlled tempo, and more efficient offensive execution.

From a betting perspective, this contest highlights a clear contrast in form and stability. Charlotte’s upward trajectory and home-court comfort stand in sharp contrast to a Pelicans team still searching for consistency amid a challenging stretch of the schedule. If recent trends hold, the Hornets are well-positioned to dictate the pace and continue their strong run, making this matchup a compelling spot for bettors evaluating momentum and situational edges.

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This is one of those spots where the box score lies and the trend tells the truth. Both teams have quietly slammed the brakes lately, ranking in the bottom half of the league in pace over the last five games, and Charlotte’s defensive surge is real—they’ve crept into the top 10 defensively, allowing just 114.8 points per game and sitting top 12 at protecting the rim. New Orleans, meanwhile, looks offensively lost—29th in shooting efficiency recently, coming off a 34% night where the rims were basically allergic to Pelicans jerseys. Trey Murphy’s cold, the ball isn’t popping, and Charlotte wants this game played in the half-court like it’s a midterms week grind. Add this little nugget: the Hornets have gone Under in 65% of their home games, so the Spectrum Center has been a scoring graveyard. Public sees ‘bad defenses, bad teams’ and thinks points; sharps see tempo, form, and bricks.