New Orleans Pelicans seek a crucial win amidst a losing streak against the rebuilding Washington Wizards.
In a rare occurrence this season, the New Orleans Pelicans are favored to win on Friday against the Washington Wizards. The Pelicans are in the midst of a nine-game losing streak, so a win would be very welcome.
The Wizards are flat-out tanking at this point of the season, sitting at 10-26. They just traded their leading scorer, CJ McCollum, to the Atlanta Hawks for Trae Young. Young isn't playing on Friday, though, and might not play again this season.
Washington has some fun young talent, but they aren't really built to win basketball games right now. It should at least be a winnable game for New Orleans.
Here is a quick rundown of important information to know before the game tips off on Friday:
When is New Orleans Pelicans at Washington Wizards?
Date: Friday, January 9, 2026
Time: 6:30 PM CT
Location: Capital One Arena (Washington, DC)
How to Watch New Orleans Pelicans at Washington Wizards
Streaming: Pelicans+, NBA League Pass, NBA TV
TV Channel: Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network
Local Radio: WWL 870 AM
New Orleans Pelicans at Washington Wizards Betting Lines
Moneyline: NO -142
Spread: NO -2.5
Over/Under: 241.5
New Orleans Pelicans at Washington Wizards Injury Updates
Herb Jones, Saddiq Bey, Jose Alvarado and Dejounte Murray have all been ruled out. Trey Murphy is listed as questionable with a back issue that has been bothering him so far through January.
There wasn't any real worry with Jones missing the last game, as it was a back-to-back after just returning from a seven-game absence. Now that he is doubtful for this game as well, it is starting to get scarier.
Murphy's back could now cost him three of the last five games, though, which would not be a great sign. This is not something that the team will want to see become a regular occurance.
The Wizards are going to be without Young and Cam Whitmore in this game. Reports have come out that Young might not play at all this season. Whitmore has been out for over a month and was struggling when healthy.
Key To Victory for New Orleans Pelicans at Washington Wizards
Transition offense.
As mentioned earlier, the Wizards are a young team. They play fast and can shoot threes well enough, but they turn the ball over a lot and have poor transition defense. The Pelicans have a solid transition offense and have active hands, so this should be an area of focus for James Borrego and the coaching staff.