New York Knicks vs. New Orleans Pelicans Picks and Prediction for Monday, December 29, 2025
New York Knicks (22-9) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (8-25)
The 2025-26 NBA season continues Monday, December 29, with the New York Knicks taking on the New Orleans Pelicans in the cross-conference battle at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA, and we’ve got the Knicks vs. Pelicans prediction to get you prepared.
The Knicks meet the Pelicans for the first time this season. In 2024-25, the Knicks swept their two-game set against the Pelicans while beating the number on both occasions. Now, the Knicks are looking for their third straight victory over the Pelicans.
Let’s look closer at this Knicks vs. Pelicans prediction, one of our NBA picks for Monday night. The tip-off at Smoothie King Center is set at 8:00 PM ET, and the Knicks open as 9.5-point favorites with a total of 240.5 points.
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The Knicks aim for their third straight W
The New York Knicks (22-9; 17-14 ATS; 18-14 O/U) have won 10 of their previous 12 games overall, including a 124-113 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup championship game. The Knicks are undefeated in two straight outings, but they haven’t covered the spread in six games in a row.
On Christmas Day, the Knicks overcame a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit in front of the home fans, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 126-124. New York went 21-for-44 from downtown, and Jalen Brunson led the charge with 34 points and four assists.
Last Saturday, the Knicks outlasted the Atlanta Hawks 128-125 as 5.5-point road favorites. Brunson posted 34 points once more, while Karl-Anthony Towns had 36 points and 15 rebounds. Towns tallies 21.9 points and 11.8 rebounds per game, and Brunson adds 29.3 points and 6.5 assists a night.
The Knicks score 122.2 points per 100 possessions (3rd in the NBA) and allow 115.2 points in return (tied for 14th). They cannot count on Josh Hart (12.3 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 5.1 APG) and Landry Shamet (9.3 PPG), while Miles McBride (11.6 PPG) is questionable for Monday’s game against New Orleans.
The Pelicans hope to avoid their fourth straight L
The New Orleans Pelicans (8-25; 19-13-1 ATS; 19-14 O/U) put an end to their five-game winning streak last Tuesday, suffering a heavy 141-118 road defeat at the Cleveland Cavaliers. Since then, the Pelicans have dropped back-to-back home games against the Phoenix Suns, 115-108 and 123-114.
Last Friday, made just 44.3% of their field goals (5-for-25 from downtown) and went 25-for-42 from the foul line, finishing with 108 points on the scoreboard. Zion Williamson led the way with 20 points, eight rebounds, and six assists.
On Saturday, Williamson had 22 points and four rebounds, while Trey Murphy III led the way with 24 points and six boards. The Pels went 9-for-27 from downtown and 29-for-33 from the charity stripe, but they allowed 20 triples to the Suns.
Williamson averages 21.7 points and 5.8 rebounds, and Murphy tallies 20.6 points and 6.1 boards per game. The Pelicans score 113.4 points per 100 possessions (24th in the NBA) while yielding 120.6 points in return (28th). They might miss Herbert Jones (9.8 PPG), and Dejounte Murray has yet to make his season debut.
Knicks vs. Pelicans Pick
| # | Handicapper | Profit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Tony Karpinski | +2,976.00 |
| 2 |  Joe Duffy | +2,595.00 |
| 3 |  The Insiders Room | +2,320.00 |
| 4 |  Mark Ruelle | +1,627.00 |
| 5 |  Jackie Mack | +1,451.00 |
Spread Pick for Knicks vs. Pelicans
- New York Knicks -9.5 (5 units)
The Pelicans have a solid ATS record this season, but they’ve gone 0-3 SU and ATS over their last three outings. New Orleans’ defense has been awful all season, so I have to look at the Knicks, who are one of the best offensive teams in the NBA.
New York is eighth in the league in 3-point rate (.436) and fourth in 3-point percentage (38.2%). The Knicks rank second in defensive rebound percentage (76.3%) and third in offensive rebound percentage (30.7%), and they are arguably a much better rebounding team than New Orleans.
The Pelicans make just 34.0% of their shots from deep (27th). I think they will struggle to keep it close against the Knicks.
Over/Under Pick for Knicks vs. Pelicans
- Over 240.5 (5 units)
Interestingly, the under has hit in five straight encounters between New York and New Orleans. I have to go against this betting trend, even though the line has been set pretty high. As I said, the Pels’ defense doesn’t look good, and the Knicks are not a great defensive team by any stretch of the imagination.
The Pelicans are dead last in the NBA in opposing 2-point percentage (60.0%) and 12th in opposing 3-point percentage (35.5%), but just two teams allow more 3-pointers per 100 possessions than New Orleans, including the Knicks. The Pels record 100.3 possessions per 48 minutes (tied for 12th), while the Knicks register 98.6 possessions per 48 minutes (26th).
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