Pacers and Pelicans Open 2026-27 NBA Season in New Orleans

The Indiana Pacers and the New Orleans Pelicans kick off their 2026-27 NBA campaigns on Wednesday night at the Smoothie King Center. The matchup features two teams looking to set a positive tone early in the season, with the visiting Pacers entering the contest as narrow favorites.

For Indiana, Wednesday night marks the official return of star guard Tyrese Haliburton, who has been sidelined since tearing his Achilles tendon in the first quarter of Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Haliburton's long-awaited recovery has drawn significant attention, including a hype video narrated by WWE executive and wrestling legend Paul "Triple H" Levesque, as well as an arrival tribute paying homage to Levesque's famous 2002 return.

Without Haliburton on the floor last season, the Pacers struggled heavily, finishing the year with a dismal 19-63 record. However, head coach Rick Carlisle welcomes back a roster that also features Pascal Siakam and center Ivica Zubac, who assumed a larger role following his arrival in February. Haliburton showed promising form during the preseason, scoring 48 points across three appearances while shooting efficiently from beyond the arc.

On the other side, the New Orleans Pelicans enter the new season under the leadership of head coach Jamahl Mosley, who makes his franchise debut. Mosley expressed immense excitement about coaching his first real game in New Orleans, noting the unique energy of the Smoothie King Center after capping off a 3-1 preseason run.

The Pelicans enter opening night with a rare advantage: a fully healthy roster. Zion Williamson continues to anchor the offense, driving heavily toward the paint, while the team has added new pieces like guard Bennedict Mathurin—who faces his former team—and reliable outside shooting from Trey Murphy III alongside ballhandler Dejounte Murray.

Betting markets and computer predictions project a closely contested matchup between the two squads. Sports analysts and prediction models lean toward a high-scoring affair, with sportsbooks setting the over/under at 239.5 points. Implied probabilities give the visiting Pacers a modest edge to secure a victory on the road to begin the new basketball year.