Tyrese Haliburton returns to regular-season action Wednesday when Indiana visits New Orleans at Smoothie King Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET, with regional coverage available through Gulf Coast Sports and DAZN-IND. The Pacers get their primary organizer back after a lost season, while the Pelicans have enough interior scoring and perimeter shooting to make the opener uncomfortable. Indiana is favored by 3.5 points, with the total at 240.5. I’m taking the Pacers and the under.
Pacers vs Pelicans Game Information
| Game Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Matchup | Indiana Pacers at New Orleans Pelicans |
| Date | Wednesday, October 21, 2026 |
| Tipoff | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| Arena | Smoothie King Center |
| Location | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Regional coverage | Gulf Coast Sports / DAZN-IND |
| Spread used | Indiana Pacers -3.5 |
| Total used | 240.5 |
| Current records | Both teams 0-0 |
Indiana Gets Its Main Decision-Maker Back
Indiana finished 19-63 last season and went 8-33 on the road. Those numbers describe how badly things went, but they also came with Haliburton missing the entire season while recovering from his Achilles injury. The Pacers split their two meetings with New Orleans. Wednesday’s team should have a different way of getting into its offense, although expecting everything to look familiar immediately would be asking a lot after that much time away.
The Pacers averaged 112.4 points and allowed 120.4 last season. Haliburton’s return should help the offense find better opportunities, but the defensive work remains. Indiana cannot consistently allow penetration, send late help and then lose track of the next receiver. New Orleans has the personnel to punish those mistakes. The Pacers also need to finish defensive possessions rather than assume a contested miss ends the problem. Their offense becomes more dangerous when it starts with a rebound and an organized early attack instead of taking the ball out after another basket.
Pascal Siakam averaged 24.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 62 games last season. Haliburton’s most recent regular-season averages were 18.6 points and 9.2 assists in 2024-25, before the injury. His preseason return has offered encouraging evidence, including a 24-point performance against Oklahoma City, but that remains a small exhibition sample. Johnny Furphy has been listed out with a knee injury. Aaron Nesmith, Jarace Walker and T.J. McConnell have carried preliminary day-to-day designations. Nesmith’s hamstring issue is particularly relevant to Indiana’s available perimeter defense.
New Orleans Can Test Indiana Inside and Outside
New Orleans went 26-56 last season, including 17-24 at home. The Pelicans beat Indiana 128-109 in their home meeting before losing the return game. Their home performance was better than their road work, but it still left plenty of uneven stretches. Wednesday offers a clear opportunity: make a returning point guard defend physical possessions, then see whether Indiana’s available perimeter players can keep up with the movement around him.
The Pelicans averaged 115.5 points while allowing 120.0 last season. They conceded 28.1 assists per game, a concern against an opponent getting an accomplished passer back. New Orleans needs to challenge the initial action without letting a second pass open the entire defense. Bringing extra attention toward Haliburton could create room for Siakam to receive the ball against a defender still finding his assignment. The Pelicans should make Indiana prove it can finish through a set defense rather than give away clear lanes through hurried rotations.
Trey Murphy III averaged 21.5 points and shot 37.9% from three across 66 games last season. Zion Williamson supplied 21.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 62 appearances. That is a useful combination against Indiana: Williamson can pull defenders toward the paint, while Murphy makes leaving the perimeter expensive. The October 20 preliminary injury listing showed no New Orleans players, with Dejounte Murray no longer appearing after an earlier toe-related designation. That is the available information at writing, rather than a guarantee of the final game rotation.
Pacers vs Pelicans Statistical Comparison
All figures below are from the 2025-26 regular season. Indiana played that season without Haliburton, an important limitation when comparing these teams.
| Category | Indiana Pacers | New Orleans Pelicans |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 19-63 | 26-56 |
| Points per game | 112.4 | 115.5 |
| Points allowed per game | 120.4 | 120.0 |
| Average scoring margin | -8.0 | -4.5 |
| Field-goal percentage | 45.8% | 46.6% |
| Rebounds per game | 41.9 | 43.9 |
| Turnovers per game | 14.5 | 14.2 |
| Average combined game score | 232.8 | 235.5 |
Three Matchups Behind the Selections
| Matchup | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Haliburton’s passing against New Orleans’s rotations | Indiana can create better shots if the Pelicans commit too much attention to the first action. |
| Williamson attacking Indiana’s interior help | Paint pressure could produce fouls and open opportunities for Murphy. |
| Indiana’s available perimeter defenders | Injuries could limit how effectively the Pacers contain drives and recover to shooters. |
Scoring Comparison Against the Total
| Scoring Measure | Combined Points |
|---|---|
| Indiana’s average game last season | 232.8 |
| New Orleans’s average game last season | 235.5 |
| Simple average of those figures | 234.2 |
| Betting total used | 240.5 |
| Our projected total | 235 |
The historical comparison is not a predictive model. Haliburton’s return changes Indiana’s offensive outlook and makes last season’s scoring averages less representative.
Indiana Pacers vs New Orleans Pelicans Picks and Predictions
Spread Pick: Indiana Pacers -3.5
I’m taking Indiana -3.5. Haliburton gives the Pacers a much better chance to turn defensive movement into a clean opportunity, and Siakam supplies an established scorer when New Orleans prevents the early attack. The Pelicans’ previous difficulty containing ball movement is a specific concern against that combination. There is plenty that can go wrong with this pick. Haliburton is returning from a major injury, Indiana’s perimeter availability is unsettled, and Williamson can make the defense work physically from the opening possession. New Orleans also deserves more respect at home than its overall record suggests. I still prefer Indiana’s ability to organize a late possession and find the right matchup. My projection is Pacers 120, Pelicans 115, assuming Haliburton plays without a significant restriction.
Total Pick: Under 240.5
Both defenses gave up too much last season, but 240.5 asks for more than simply identifying defensive weaknesses. The teams still have to convert enough possessions to reach that number. Indiana should improve with Haliburton, although an opening game after a long absence can include timing problems alongside the encouraging moments. New Orleans should also spend possessions working through Williamson’s interior pressure rather than treating every rebound as a reason to race. The strongest argument against the under is Indiana finding its passing rhythm immediately while the Pelicans answer with paint scoring and free throws. That could push the pace and efficiency higher together. I’m expecting a productive game with enough stalled possessions to finish below the total. The projected 235 points make the under my stronger preference.
Final Prediction
| Selection | Pick |
|---|---|
| Side | Indiana Pacers -3.5 |
| Total | Under 240.5 |
| Projected score | Indiana 120, New Orleans 115 |
| Stronger preference | Under 240.5 |
Final Picks: Indiana Pacers -3.5 and Under 240.5.
Find more matchup breakdowns on our NBA picks and predictions page.
Completed October 20, 2026. Team statistical comparisons use the 2025-26 regular season; Haliburton’s previous regular-season figures are explicitly identified as 2024-25. Betting lines, injury designations and starting lineups may change before tipoff. Score projections are editorial estimates.