Denver Nuggets vs New Orleans Pelicans Picks and Prediction for Tuesday January 13 2026

By: Eddie Kline Updated 01/21/2026, 02:45 PM ET

Nuggets Preview

The Smoothie King Center will be the scene for a Tuesday night NBA battle between the Denver Nuggets and the New Orleans Pelicans. For other NBA action see our NBA Predictions. The Nuggets (26-13) have won 15 of their first 22 road games and trail San Antonio by one full game for second place in the Western Conference standings. On Sunday, Denver converted 14-of-35 three-point attempts during a 108-104 home victory versus Milwaukee.

Tim Hardaway Jr. led five Denver players in double figures with 25 points (8-12 FG) in 35 minutes off the bench. Aaron Gordon chipped in 23 points (7-16 FG), six rebounds, and four assists. Peyton Watson added 19 points, eight rebounds, and six assists for the Nuggets.

Pelicans Preview

The New Orleans Pelicans have dropped nine of their previous ten games and own the worst record in the Western Conference. The Pelicans (9-32) rank near the bottom of the league in defensive efficiency and are surrendering 122.4 points per contest. On Sunday, New Orleans was outscored by 17 points during the fourth quarter of a 128-118 road loss against Orlando.

Former number one overall draft pick Zion Williamson led New Orleans with 22 points on 9-for-14 shooting. Trey Murphy tallied 21 points (8-15 FG), seven rebounds, and six assists. Jordan Poole scored 21 points (6-8 3 PT) in 23 minutes off the bench for the Pelicans, who shot 57 percent from the field.

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Nuggets vs Pelicans Pick

Denver G Jamal Murray (ankle/illness) is listed as questionable and C Nikola Jokic (knee) will remain sidelined for this contest. These two teams rank in the bottom five of the league in defensive efficiency. Look for the Nuggets to win on the road in a game that goes over the total. Final Score Prediction, Denver Nuggets win 123-120.

How To Bet This Matchup

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