NBA 2026 Season: New Orleans Pelicans Defense Explained for Online Sports Betting

How The Pelicans Play Defense In 2025–26

Let's start with the context for NBA sports betting for the New Orleans Pelicans this season.

Record: 2–12, 15th in the West. Net rating: minus 13.5, 28th in the league. Defensive rating: 122.8 (29th).

The starting group on the depth chart right now:

• PG: Jeremiah Fears
• SG: Trey Murphy III
• SF: Herbert Jones
• PF: Zion Williamson (currently listed out)
• C: Derik Queen

Injuries are wrecking their defensive plan: Zion Williamson (hamstring) is out, though he was just cleared for contact practice. Saddiq Bey (ankle) is day-to-day. Jordan Poole (quadriceps) is out at least another week. Dejounte Murray (Achilles) won't be back until around New Year.

Borrego is inheriting a roster that gives up tons of dribble penetration, weak closeouts to shooters, and soft rim protection in non-Queen lineups.

From a sports betting sites angle, this is gold. Books know the defense is bad, but they can still miss how bad in certain matchups, especially when people overrate the "names" like Zion, Poole, and Murray who aren't even playing.

Read more: How Betting Predictions Use Data Trends and Matchups

Exploit weak defenses before the market catches up. Check out Shurzy's Content Lab for defensive breakdowns on NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, and more.

Three Most Important Defensive Players For Bettors

All of these guys are on the roster and in the actual 2025–26 rotation right now.

Herbert Jones – the real perimeter stopper

Herb Jones is still the Pelicans' best defender. He starts at small forward and averages about 30.5 minutes with 10.1 points, 3.6 boards, 2.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.

For NBA sports betting for New Orleans Pelicans games: When Jones is healthy and not in foul trouble, he usually takes the top wing or guard. You can shade a little toward unders on that star's points or threes, especially if he's more of a slasher than a pull-up sniper. If Jones gets two quick fouls, live over under bets and star-overs get more appealing fast.

Derik Queen – rookie big with real defensive flashes

Rookie center Derik Queen has become a bright spot. He's averaging 10.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.7 blocks in just 22 minutes a night.

In their first win of the season, he almost posted a triple-double off the bench with 12 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals, including a late-game steal to seal it.

Betting impact: With Queen on the floor, they at least have one big who can contest and create turnovers. When the Pelicans go small or lean on older bigs like DeAndre Jordan, opponent centers and power forwards get easier looks and more offensive boards.

Jose Alvarado – chaos off the bench

Jose Alvarado is still the "pest" guard. He's averaging 7.8 points, 2.4 boards, 2.6 assists and 0.9 steals off the bench. He was huge in that first win versus the Hornets with 18 points and clutch steals down the stretch.

For sports betting today: When Alvarado gets real minutes, opposing point guards see more pressure and turnovers. That can tilt some guard scoring props slightly under but may push game pace up, which helps certain overs and parlay bets tied to steals and fast-break scoring.

Read more: Everything You Need to Know About NBA Prop Betting

What The Pelicans Actually Do On Defense (And Where To Attack)

They give up points everywhere

The snapshot says it all: Defensive rating 122.8 (29th). Net rating minus 13.5 (28th). On the road, they're getting hit at every position. Opposing point guards, for example, average 21.7 points per game on 44% shooting and almost 40% from three against them away from home.

From a sports betting odds view: Books already hang high totals on Pelicans games, but certain player props (especially wings and bigs) may still be soft. You can target scoring overs and three-point overs on players facing their weaker defenders, not just the main star if Herb is chasing him.

They actually have some defensive playmaking

Despite the bad rating, this isn't a team with zero effort. In that Hornets win, New Orleans closed on an 11–0 run with multiple steals and forced turnovers in the final three minutes.

Defensive playmaking from Queen, Jones, and Alvarado can create runs that help them cover a number they had no business covering, and flip an under-ish game script into an over late with free throws and transition buckets.

Coaching change shock factor

The firing of Willie Green and the promotion of James Borrego can shift style. Green's Pelicans used to lean more conservative on defense. Borrego, from past runs, likes pace, spacing, and is fine with trading buckets.

Short term for online sports betting: Expect more up-tempo games as Borrego tries to unlock offense around Trey Murphy, Zion (when back), and the young guards. That usually means more possessions, more shots, and higher variance on the over under.

Read more: Predictions for Spreads, Totals, and Props Explained

How To Use Pelicans Defense In NBA Sports Betting

Because the defense is so weak, the market often expects overs. Your job is to decide when that is right and when it's overcooked.

Things to check before you bet:

Injury report: If Zion, Poole, Murray, Bey are all out, the offense is weaker but the defense doesn't suddenly improve. Fewer scorers can sometimes lean a game under even with bad defense, especially if the opponent plays slow.

Matchup at the 4 and 5: If Queen starts and gets 25+ minutes, interior defense is at least somebody's job. If they lean heavily on small-ball or older bigs, hammer big-man props and watch team totals.

Pace and opponent style: Fast, three-heavy teams have a field day and can blow totals out. Slow, post-heavy teams may still score efficiently but play fewer possessions, which can keep totals in check for point spread betting angles instead of pure overs.

Read more: Why Matchups Matter in Betting Predictions

Exploit weak defenses before the market catches up. Check out Shurzy's Content Lab for defensive breakdowns on NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, and more.

Simple Example: Building A Betting Angle On Pelicans Defense

Say the Pelicans are at home versus a strong scoring wing and a bruising center. The board shows:

• Game total: 235.5
• Opponent team total: 121.5
• Star wing points line: 26.5
• Center rebounds line: 11.5

Injury report: Zion Williamson out (hamstring), Saddiq Bey out (ankle), Poole and Murray out.

Your read: Offense is thinner, but so is any hope of high-level defense at the point of attack. Herb Jones will try to slow the star wing, but foul trouble or simple overwork is a real risk. With Zion and Bey out, the Pels are light on physical forwards, so the center should own the glass.

One parlay idea:

• Star wing 25+ points (slight alt over instead of full 26.5)
• Center over 11.5 rebounds
• Opponent team total over 118.5 alt line

Read more: How to Use Predictions Without Blindly Following Them

Quick Rules For NBA Sports Betting For New Orleans Pelicans (Defense Edition)

Here's your cheat sheet:

Lean under or cautious over when:

• The opponent is slow, post-heavy, and not great from three
• Herb Jones and Derik Queen both play 30-ish minutes and stay out of foul trouble
• Borrego shows signs of shortening the rotation and grinding more possessions

Be more open to overs when:

• They face a fast, three-happy offense
• Jones is in foul trouble or out, and Queen plays under 25 minutes
• Zion returns and pushes pace but is not locked in defensively

Prop angles to target:

• Opponent big-man rebounds and second-chance points overs
• Opponent star wing scoring overs when Jones is limited or sharing that matchup
• Live overs if the early quarters show the same old 120+ defensive effort