Preview: Atlanta Hawks vs. New Orleans Pelicans: Player props, injury report and prediction | NBA

The Atlanta Hawks travel to Smoothie King Center on Saturday to face the New Orleans Pelicans, both sides coming off a day's rest after home wins in midweek, Atlanta over Cleveland and New Orleans over Sacramento.

Atlanta arrive at 3-3 having won four of the last five meetings between these two sides, including a 2-0 sweep of last season's series, while New Orleans sit at 1-4 and are still missing two rotation guards as they try to build on a rare win.

Atlanta Hawks vs. New Orleans Pelicans: what does the form guide say?

Form Guide

Atlanta Hawks

3-3 · 7th Eastern Conference

Last 5 (2026-27 regular season)

W L L L W

119.2 PPG

114.5 Opp PPG

115.5 Off. rating

111.0 Def. rating

New Orleans Pelicans

1-4 · 14th Western Conference

Last 5 (2026-27 regular season)

L L L L W

119.4 PPG

121.6 Opp PPG

111.6 Off. rating

113.4 Def. rating

Atlanta have been streaky rather than consistent, following a 128-81 blowout win at Charlotte with three straight defeats to Houston twice and Miami, before a narrow 114-111 win over Cleveland in midweek steadied the ship.

Onyeka Okongwu was the headline act in that Cleveland win, posting 29 points on 11-of-17 shooting with 12 rebounds, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker chipped in 25 as Atlanta's top scorer this season at just over 20 points a night.

Jalen Johnson has quietly been doing a bit of everything, averaging close to 19 points, 9.3 rebounds and 8.5 assists through his first six games, numbers that put him within touching distance of a triple-double pace.

The obvious concern for the Hawks is the defensive end, where a 111.0 defensive rating and more than 114 points conceded a night have made every one of their wins this season harder than it needed to be.

New Orleans arrive having lost four straight before a 132-120 home win over Sacramento in midweek snapped the skid, with rookie point guard Jeremiah Fears producing a 22-point, 13-assist night to lead the way.

That win came without both Dejounte Murray, who has missed games for personal reasons, and Jordan Poole, who is nursing a left ankle issue, leaving Fears and veteran forward Herbert Jones to carry the backcourt and wing minutes.

The bigger story of New Orleans' season so far is Zion Williamson, who reported for training camp visibly lighter and has carried that into the opening weeks, averaging close to 22 points a game on 64.6% shooting from the field.

Neither side holds a rest edge here, so the numbers above do the talking instead, and a positive net rating against a negative one, plus a turnover differential of well over three a game, both point the same way for Atlanta.

Who's missing for Atlanta Hawks vs. New Orleans Pelicans?

Atlanta are missing two reserve big men for the long haul rather than dealing with a day-to-day call, with Mouhamed Gueye out after surgery on a fractured left foot and Henri Veesaar already ruled out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL.

Everyone else in Quin Snyder's rotation is available, and the starting five of Okongwu, Jalen Johnson, CJ McCollum, Alexander-Walker and Dyson Daniels that opened the win over Cleveland should carry straight into New Orleans unchanged.

New Orleans have the trickier team news, with Murray and Poole both carrying day-to-day tags into the weekend after sitting out the win over Sacramento, and Yves Missi still some way from a return with his knee injury.

With Missi unavailable, Karlo Matkovic has taken the start at centre, and if Murray and Poole both remain out again, expect Jeremiah Fears and Herbert Jones to keep the expanded roles that produced the win over Sacramento.

Atlanta Hawks vs. New Orleans Pelicans: the matchups that could decide it

Key Matchups

McCollum returns to New Orleans

CJ McCollum

ATL

VS

Jeremiah Fears

NOP

14.5 PPG

2.8 APG

11.6 PPG

4.0 APG

McCollum spent part of his career in New Orleans before a trade chain through Washington brought him to Atlanta, and he now lines up as the Hawks' starting point guard against the rookie, Fears, who has emerged as the Pelicans' most reliable backcourt option with Murray and Poole sidelined.

Okongwu against an undersized frontcourt

Onyeka Okongwu

ATL

VS

Karlo Matkovic

NOP

12.8 PPG

6.7 RPG

6.8 PPG

2.8 RPG

Okongwu is coming off a 29-point, 12-rebound night, and with Missi still out New Orleans are starting the smaller Matkovic at centre, a mismatch Atlanta have every reason to attack early and often.

The most natural storyline is McCollum walking back into the building where he spent part of his career, now doing it as Atlanta's starting point guard against a Pelicans backcourt leaning heavily on Fears with two of their regular guards unavailable.

Underneath that, the frontcourt mismatch created by Missi's absence gives Okongwu, fresh off his best game of the season, a clear runway to keep Atlanta's interior scoring advantage going.

Player props to watch for Atlanta Hawks vs. New Orleans Pelicans

Player Props to Watch

Nickeil Alexander-WalkerATL

PointsOver 19.5

20.5 Season PPG

18.4 Last 5

6 GP played

Atlanta's leading scorer is shooting 40.0% from three on the season and has topped this mark in four of his six games, with a soft Pelicans perimeter defence offering little resistance.

Jalen JohnsonATL

ReboundsOver 8.5

9.3 Season RPG

8.4 Last 5

6 GP played

Johnson has cleared this mark in four of his six logged games and gets a Pelicans frontcourt playing without its starting centre, which should mean extra defensive-glass opportunities.

Zion WilliamsonNOP

PointsOver 20.5

21.8 Season PPG

21.8 Last 5

5 GP played

Williamson has been remarkably consistent through his first five games and gets a Hawks defence that has conceded over 114 points a night all season.

Jeremiah FearsNOP

AssistsOver 3.5

4.0 Season APG

4.0 Last 5

5 GP played

The rookie's role has only grown with Murray and Poole sidelined, and his 13-assist outing against Sacramento shows the ceiling on his playmaking when he is running the offence for extended minutes.

Atlanta Hawks vs. New Orleans Pelicans: head-to-head record

Atlanta completed a 2-0 sweep of New Orleans last season, winning by 17 points on both occasions, and the Hawks have taken four of the last five regular-season meetings between these two sides overall.

Across that five-game run the Hawks have averaged 117.0 points to New Orleans' 107.4, a margin that lines up closely with the gap in net rating this preview has already highlighted.

New Orleans will see tonight as a chance to finally get something out of a fixture that has gone against them for a year and a half, particularly with home advantage at Smoothie King Center on their side.

Tips and prediction for Atlanta Hawks vs. New Orleans Pelicans

New Orleans have the reinforcements to make this uncomfortable if Murray and Poole return, and Williamson alone is good for a strong individual night, but Atlanta's edge in net rating, their recent dominance of this fixture and a clear advantage up front point to the Hawks doing enough on the road.

Expect a fast-paced, high-scoring contest that follows the pattern both teams have set over their last five outings, with Atlanta's superior ball security proving the difference in the closing minutes.