The New Orleans Pelicans had another frustrating loss on Friday night, but they have a chance to immediately flush it with a game against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night.

The Pelicans are 0-2 with two matchups they could have won. Now they are up against Nikola Jokic without Yves Missi, who suffered a bone bruise on Friday night. Starting the season in a hole once again would certainly be disappointing, so being able to steal a win in this game as major underdogs would be massive.

There have been stretches through these first two games where New Orleans has looked exactly like the team that Jamahl Mosley wants them to be, but they have not had any consistency. They both need to start and close games much more efficiently.

Here is a quick rundown of important information to know before the game tips off:

Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026
Time: 8:00 PM CT
Location: Ball Arena (Denver, CO)

Streaming: Pelicans+
TV Channel: Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network
Local Radio: WWL 870 AM

Moneyline: DEN -485
Spread: DEN -11.5
Over/Under: 239.5

Pelicans: G Dejounte Murray, G Jeremiah Fears, F Trey Murphy III, F Zion Williamson, C Derik Queen

Nuggets: G Jamal Murray, G Christian Braun, F DeMar DeRozan, F Aaron Gordon, C Nikola Jokic

Pelicans

Yves Missi - Out (left knee contusion/bone bruise)

Malik Dia - Out (G League two-way)

Jaron Pierre Jr. - Out (G League two-way)

Julian Reese - Probable (G League two-way)

Jazz

Cameron Johnson - Out (right ankle sprain)

Spencer Jones - Out (bilateral hamstring injury management)

Julian Strawther - Out (left knee sprain)

Alpha Diallo - Questionable (right wrist sprain)

How do the Pelicans respond to Yves Missi's injury?

Missi going down was the worst-case scenario for New Orleans. He is their only real defensive threat at center, at least one who can compete against the stronger bigs in the league. Derik Queen and Karlo Matkovic are sure to see more playing time, which will be fun to watch, but the game plan will have to change without their defensive anchor. 

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