New Orleans Pelicans vs Detroit Pistons: Trey Murphy III Keys Pels’ Road Betting Edge

First quarter

New Orleans opens this New Orleans Pelicans vs Detroit Pistons score prediction with a rotation that includes Trey Murphy III, Zion Williamson, and Jordan Poole as listed on the current roster.

New Orleans also enters with availability questions because Jordan Poole (knee) is day to day and Jordan Hawkins (personal) is day to day.

New Orleans is also shorthanded on the wing because Herbert Jones is out and is listed with a back injury, and Dejounte Murray is out with a leg injury.

Those injuries are the biggest early drivers behind any spread movement for New Orleans at Detroit because Poole and Hawkins directly affect guard minutes while Jones and Murray remove perimeter defense and ball pressure.

Second quarter

Detroit is the home side in this matchup, and New Orleans is the away side, which is why the market typically reacts faster to late status updates for the Pelicans’ travel group.

If Poole remains day to day close to tip, New Orleans’ second-unit creation leans more heavily toward Jose Alvarado and additional frontcourt minutes from bigs like Kevon Looney, Yves Missi, Derik Queen, and DeAndre Jordan.

That rotation note matters for the New Orleans Pelicans vs Detroit Pistons total points line because New Orleans’ available ball-handlers and wing defenders are explicitly impacted by Poole’s day-to-day knee and Jones being out.

Third quarter

New Orleans’ best pathway out of halftime is to lean into its healthy top-end forwards, because Murphy III and Williamson are both listed without injuries on the roster.

Detroit’s home designation at Little Caesars Arena sets the in-game pressure point for any live odds swing after halftime, because the Pistons control last-change matchups on their floor.

From a wagering lens, New Orleans Pelicans vs Detroit Pistons betting trends in this spot hinge on late confirmation of Poole and Hawkins, because both are day to day and their availability can change the spread and the game total quickly.

Fourth quarter

New Orleans Pelicans vs Detroit Pistons expert picks start with monitoring the Pelicans’ official inactive list, because Jones and Murray are already out while Poole and Hawkins are day to day.

If New Orleans closes with Murphy III and Williamson healthy, the Pelicans can stabilize late-game possessions even with Murray out, because the roster still includes veteran frontcourt options like Looney plus guard energy from Alvarado.

The game is scheduled for March 26, 2026 at 7:00 PM ET at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, and it can be watched on FDSDET, Gulf Coast Sports, or streamed on Pelicans+; share this article with a fellow Pels fan and keep it locked for final odds, picks, and watch updates before tip.