Basketball
Halftime Report
The Wizards have overcome an early deficit to take the lead back in this one. Sitting on a score of 68-62, they have looked like the better team, but there’s still two more quarters to play.
The Wizards came into the matchup with some extra motivation after the loss they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We’ll see if they’re able to flip the script or if it’ll just be more of the same.
Who’s Playing
Washington Wizards @ New Orleans Pelicans
Current Records: Washington 6-25, New Orleans 5-29
How To Watch
- When: Friday, January 3, 2025 at 8 p.m. ET
- Where: Smoothie King Center — New Orleans, Louisiana
- TV: Gulf Coast Sports
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $4.00
What to Know
The Wizards have enjoyed a four-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will square off against the New Orleans Pelicans at 8:00 p.m. ET on Friday at Smoothie King Center. The Wizards pulled off an upset win in their last outing, and are hoping to pull that off once more against the 6.5-point favorite Pelicans.
The Wizards are headed into the match after thoroughly thrashing the Bulls: they outscored them in every quarter. The Wizards took down the Bulls 125-107 on Wednesday. The contest marked Washington’s most dominant victory of the season so far.
The Wizards were working as a unit and finished the game with 36 assists. That’s the most assists they’ve posted since back in December of 2023.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans’ recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Wednesday after their 11th straight defeat. They took a 119-108 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Heat.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Trey Murphy III, who scored 34 points. Dejounte Murray, on the other hand, was considerably less helpful: he went 0-5 from downtown.
Washington’s win bumped their record up to 6-25. As for New Orleans, their loss dropped their record down to 5-29.
The Wizards came up short against the Pelicans in their previous meeting back in February of 2024, falling 133-126. Can the Wizards avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We’ll find out soon enough.
Odds
New Orleans is a solid 6.5-point favorite against Washington, according to the latest NBA odds.
The line has drifted a bit towards the Pelicans, as the game opened with the Pelicans as a 4.5-point favorite.
The over/under is 231.5 points.
See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
New Orleans has won 7 out of their last 10 games against Washington.
- Feb 14, 2024 – New Orleans 133 vs. Washington 126
- Dec 13, 2023 – New Orleans 142 vs. Washington 122
- Jan 28, 2023 – Washington 113 vs. New Orleans 103
- Jan 09, 2023 – New Orleans 132 vs. Washington 112
- Nov 24, 2021 – New Orleans 127 vs. Washington 102
- Nov 15, 2021 – Washington 105 vs. New Orleans 100
- Apr 16, 2021 – Washington 117 vs. New Orleans 115
- Jan 27, 2021 – New Orleans 124 vs. Washington 106
- Aug 07, 2020 – New Orleans 118 vs. Washington 107
- Nov 28, 2018 – New Orleans 125 vs. Washington 104
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