Pelicans Chase First Win Under Mosley at Utah

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New Orleans brings an 0-1 record and unfinished defense into Salt Lake City, and Utah should take advantage.

NOP @ UTA Oct 24, 2026 at 1:30 AM UTC

The Pelicans arrive in Utah at 0-1 after a 123-120 season-opening loss to the Pacers, and the way it slipped away is the most useful thing to study. Tyrese Haliburton scored 16 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter and finished with 12 assists in 33 minutes. New Orleans let an opposing point guard take over late, and that is a troubling habit to carry into a road game against a Jazz team that will have its own chances to attack in crunch time.

That defensive question sits at the center of this matchup. Jamahl Mosley is beginning his first regular season as head coach, and the report on the group is that the defense is still coming together, even if the preseason offered a good idea of what to expect. A unit that is not yet polished is vulnerable to breakdowns in rotation and communication, particularly away from home where mistakes are harder to recover from. The offense, by contrast, did not look much different than last season, so the scoring should be there. The question is whether the stops will be.

The lineup picture adds some uncertainty. Mosley rotated starters throughout the preseason, and the projected opening five was Dejounte Murray, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, Zion Williamson and Yves Missi. That group has real size and athleticism, and Williamson gives New Orleans a way to score even when the defense is a work in progress. Still, a new coach working through his rotations is not the profile of a team expecting a smooth night.

I expect New Orleans to score enough to keep this competitive, but Utah's home setting and the Pelicans' unfinished defensive identity should tip a close game late. The Jazz hold on down the stretch for a narrow win.

Prediction: Jazz 118, Pelicans 112.

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