Pelicans vs Hawks Prediction and Betting Odds

The 2026/27 NBA regular season is still in its infancy, but neither the New Orleans Pelicans nor Atlanta Hawks are in a position to see defeats piling up at this stage.

With so much of the campaign still ahead, it is worth keeping the NBA season key dates handy as the schedule unfolds.

Both clubs have struggled in the early stages of the season, although the Hawks have fared the better.

So, will Atlanta get the better of New Orleans when they meet on Sunday, November 1, with the tip-off at 11:00 AEDT?

Quick Picks

Our pick: Hawks to win

Value bet: Johnson over on rebounds

Long shot: Johnson recording a triple-double

Betting Preview

This is a really interesting NBA matchup for bettors, as both teams have been involved in very tight fixtures up to this point. If you are new to markets like the moneyline and player totals, our NBA betting explained guide walks through how they work.

In their first four games, the Hawks are 2-2, albeit losing back-to-back games after winning their first two. They have also faced the Houston Rockets, who are one of the NBA’s top teams in the early stages of the season.

Jalen Johnson’s all-round influence cannot be understated based on those matches. He led them in points, rebounds and assists, averaging 21.5 points, 9.8 boards and 8.3 assists after those four matches.

The Pelicans, meanwhile, started the season 0-3, but those defeats came by three points against Indiana, one against Utah and six in overtime against Denver.

Zion Williamson led their scoring with 20.7 points per game and shot 56.4% from the field. As such, their early record actually looks much worse than their competitiveness.

Betting Markets to Watch

The early moneyline odds are likely to favour the Hawks, as they appear to have the better playmaking abilities on the court at the moment.

The Pelicans have been competitive despite their start, but Atlanta were averaging 31.5 assists compared with New Orleans’ 24.7 over their first four and three games, respectively.

Against a Pelicans defence conceding 128 points per game, that suggests a promising route to creating scoring opportunities.

If the line for Johnson's rebounds is around 8.5, the over is likely to have some value. He has recorded 14, 7, 9, and 9 rebounds in his opening four games.

Another total market involving Johnson could be the points + rebounds line. If it is set at 29.5, then the over could once again be worth exploring. It’s a market which he has hit in three of his four opening totals (34, 26, 35 and 30).

Derik Queen rebounds could also be worth keeping an eye on. If the line is at 7.5 and he plays, it could be worth value; the over could be the play.

He leads New Orleans with 8.3 rebounds per game through their first three games, but the biggest question is how many minutes he’ll have on the court if Yves Missi can return by Sunday’s game.

Our Prediction

Check the latest NBA betting odds at Sportsbet.

Our prediction is for the Hawks to win, with value in Johnson over 8.5 rebounds.

A long shot is Johnson recording a triple-double; on top of the reasons outlined above, he was just one rebound short of doing so against the Rockets.