New Orleans Pelicans vs. Brooklyn Nets, Picks and Prediction, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025
Use Code WWWC We've got a struggling non-conference matchup in the NBA in this Pels vs. Nets prediction. New Orleans (3-20, 12-9-2 ATS) is having a brutal start, as injuries have hampered the team. Brooklyn (5-17, 9-13 ATS) hasn't had it much better, though they have won two of their last three games. Last season, the Nets won both meetings SU and ATS. Brooklyn is a 2-point favorite, and the total is 226.5. These teams will meet on Saturday at 5pmET from Barclays Center. Check out more free NBA Picks, NFL and college football selections this weekend at Winner and Whiners.
No Zion, no wins
The Pels last won a game on Nov. 26, beating division rival Memphis 133-128 as a 3.5-point dog at home. Since then, they've lost four straight games, but did manage to cover all four. The biggest reason New Orleans is 3-20 is the fact that former overall No. 1 pick Zion Williamson has missed 12 of the Pelicans' 22 games this season. His latest injury is an adductor strain, which will cost him another 3-4 weeks. He's averaging 22.1 points and 5.6 rebounds, while also dealing with a hamstring injury. To make matters worse, the Pels have missed third-leading scorer Jordan Poole over the last month due to a quad injury.
In their last contest, the Pels fell at home to Minnesota 125-116 as a 12-point underdog. They also played the T-Wolves on Dec. 2 and fell 149-142 as a 12.5-point dog.. Trey Murphy III had 21 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. Saddiq Bey (20pts, 6rebs) and rookie Jeremiah Fears (20pts, 6ast) both had strong games for the Pels. New Orleans shot 45% from the field and just 28% from long range. Minnesota won the game from the three-point line (15 of 38) and outrebounded the Pels by six.
New Orleans is starting rookie Derrik Queen at center, and he's shown some flashes, averaging 12.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 24.5 minutes per game. Fears, another rookie, has been very impressive, averaging 15.9 points and 3.0 assists, while shooting 45% from the field (38% 3pt). Murphy III leads the team with 20.4 points per game and 6.6 rebounds, while shooting 46.2% from the field. The Pels, who need more first-round picks in 2026 (they traded an unprotected one for Queen in the 2025 draft), may look to opt to deal Murphy, who is just 25, if they can get multiple picks.
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DunksandThrees.com ranks 28th in Net rating, 26th in Adjusted Offense and 27th in Adjusted Defense.
Key Injuries for Pelicans:
- F Z. Williamson (adductor) is out 3-4 weeks.
- G Jordan Poole (quad) is out. Poole (17.3ppg) has not played since Nov. 4. There's still no timetable for his return.
- F Herbert Jones (calf) is questionable.
Brooklyn has some success until Utah arrives
This is what bad teams do. They upset some teams, and then just when they start to roll, they lose a winnable game. Brooklyn beat Charlotte 116-103 on Dec. 1 and Chicago (113-103) on the road on Dec. 3 as an 8-point dog. But in their second of a back-to-back on Thursday, they fell to Utah at home 123-110 as a 5-point dog. In that Jazz loss, Noah Clowney led the Nets with 29 points and Ziarie Williams added 23 points off the bench. Once again, as teams that are not trying to win a ton of games, Brooklyn "rested" leading scorer Michael Porter Jr., who had just scored 33 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in their win over the Bulls.
Porter Jr. has been outstanding since coming over from Denver. He's leading the team with 25.3 points per game, adding 7.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists, while shooting 48.8% from the field and 38.5% from long range. With Cam Thomas (21.4ppg) out due to a hamstring injury (played just eight games), the Nets have struggled to find a second option. The closest has been Clowney (13.5ppg) and center Nic Claxton (13.5ppg, 7.5rpg).
The Nets rank 29th on DunksandThrees.com, 28th in Adjusted Offense and 28th in Adjusted Defense.
Key Injuries for Nets:
- G Cam Thomas (hamstring) is out. Second-leading scorer.
Betting Trends for Pelicans vs. Nets
Pels are:
- 5-1 ATS last 6 games.
- 5-1 Over last 6 games.
- 4-10 ATS last 14 vs. Nets
Nets are:
- 8-1 Under last 9 games.
- 12-5 Over last 17 vs. Pelicans.
Spread Pick for Pels vs. Nets
Pelicans vs. Nets Prediction and Pick
- Brooklyn 119-New Orleans 114
- Brooklyn Nets -2 (4 units)
The Nets will get Porter Jr. back for this game unless he's still resting. It's not an easy thing to pick a team to win that isn't always trying. But the Nets are trying harder than the Pels, who seem desperate to get the first-round pick or anything close to a lottery pick. Nobody knows when Poole is returning and Zion Williamson just can't stay on the floor. The Pels are 1-9 on the road and the Nets are 1-10 at home. New Orleans has more talent, but with Herb Jones, Poole and Williamson out, they won't have enough to beat MPJ and the Nets in Brooklyn.
- Over 226.5 (5 units)
This is the stronger pick because neither team plays a ton of defense. The Pelicans have gone over in three straight games and five of their last six. At home, Brooklyn is allowing 51% shooting to rank last in the NBA. They are also allowing 119.4 points per game at home. New Orleans is allowing 49.3% shooting on the road and 121.4 points per game.
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