NBA Most Cursed Teams: Who Historically Plays the Worst on Halloween?

Halloween is just round the corner, and with several NBA teams set to play on the spookiest day of the year, Casino Guru has decided to find out which teams perform the worst on the 31st of October.

Thirty years of October 31st data has been analyzed dating back to 1996, looking at win/loss percentages, points scored and points conceded to reveal the NBA's most cursed teams who are playing this Halloween.

Key Highlights:

• The New Orleans Pelicans have the worst Halloween record of teams playing Saturday: The Pelicans face the Hawks and have lost 4 of 6 previous Halloween appearances (67%), conceding an average of 114.5 points per game, the highest of any team playing.
• The Trail Blazers face the Jazz this Halloween: Portland have lost 64% of their Halloween games, compared to Utah’s 45%. The Jazz also averaged nearly 9 more points per game (105.4 v 96.5).
• The Cleveland Cavaliers travel to Milwaukee: The Cavs have lost 63% of their Halloween games, averaging just 92 points per game, while the Bucks have lost 50% averaging 95.6 points.
• The Sacramento Kings look to get their season back on track in Memphis: The Kings have more Halloween defeats than any other NBA team, losing 8 of 13 games. Sacramento averages 96.3 points scored per game, compared to the Grizzlies 99.

Milwaukee Bucks v Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavs are heading to Milwaukee this Halloween. The Bucks lead the all-time head-to-head advantage with 133 wins to 108, but Cleveland have dominated in recent years, winning 7 of their last 8 matchups. But the question coming into this weekend is how both teams fare on the 31st of October and who has the advantage?

Milwaukee fans can be quietly confident having lost 50% of their Halloween games compared to Cleveland's 63%. The Cavs have also had the lowest historical Halloween scoring average of any team playing this Saturday, with just 92 points per game compared with Milwaukee's 95.6.

The Bucks have come into the season with new coaching staff led by Taylor Jenkins and will be hoping to use their better form on Halloween to defeat who have become a tough opponent in recent years.

Utah Jazz v Portland Trail Blazers

Next up, the Utah Jazz are hosting the Portland Trail Blazers where they will be hoping to put last season's woes behind them after losing all 4 games against their division rivals. However, the Jazz do lead the all-time regular-season record 116–99.

Despite their recent dominance, it’s not looking promising for the Trail Blazers this Saturday. Looking at both teams' Halloween records, the Jazz look like the likely favorites to win on the spookiest day of the year. The Trail Blazers have lost 64% of their games on the 31st of October, while Utah have lost 45%.

Interestingly in their last 4 meetings Portland averaged 133 points across the 4 wins but on Halloween they averaged 96.5 points, meaning they have conceded almost 37 more on the 31st of October. Comparing this to the Jazz who score 105.4 per Halloween game, things are looking good for Utah.

This sets up Saturday's game to be a battle against recent form and Halloween history. While Portland look to carry on their winning streak against Utah, the Jazz will be hoping to use the spirit of Halloween to defeat their rivals.

New Orleans Pelicans v Atlanta Hawks

The New Orleans Pelicans will be looking to turn around what has been a nightmare start to the season when they face the Hawks this weekend. The Pelicans have lost their first 3 opening games of the season while the Hawks have won 2 of 4 games so far. Things won't get any easier against Atlanta either, who have won 12 of their last 15 meetings with the Pelicans.

However, the Hawks aren't only coming into this game with a better start to the season, they also historically perform better than the Pelicans when playing on Halloween. The Pelicans have the worst October 31st record of all teams playing this Saturday, losing 4 of their 6 games (67%), while Atlanta have a 4-4 record (50%).

Not only this, but they've also conceded more points than any other NBA team on Halloween, conceding an average of 114.50 per game, and so far this season they have conceded an average of 128 points.

There is some light for Pelicans fans as they have also scored more than any other team on Halloween, with an average of 114.5 per game, while the Hawks have an average of 103.25. Both teams can score highly, but the Pelicans will need to overcome both their recent struggles against Atlanta and their poor Halloween record to start to give their fans hope this season.

Memphis Grizzlies v Sacramento Kings

Finally, the Memphis Grizzlies host the Sacramento Kings this Saturday, and they will be looking to follow on from their 123-112 victory against the Kings last Sunday. The Kings lead the all-time head-to-head regular season record 60 to 54, but there are some striking stats that show that gap will become ever smaller this Halloween.

Sacramento have lost more games than any other NBA team, losing 8 out of their 13 appearances on October 31st. In comparison, the Grizzlies have lost 6 out of 11, giving them a 55% loss rate. They also average more points per game than Sacramento (99 to 96.3), slightly favoring another win in their favor.

Memphis have enjoyed a strong start to the season going 4-0 and with the Kings being 0-3 and having a poor Halloween record, it looks like another loss will be on the way for Sacramento fans.

There are 3 other games being played on Saturday; however, the stats have these teams fairly matched.

Methodology

This study analyzed 139 NBA regular-season games played on Halloween (October 31st) between 1996 and 2025, covering a 30-year period. Games took place in 23 of those years, with no NBA games played on Halloween in the remaining seven years.

For each team, we calculated the total number of wins and losses, win and loss percentages, average points scored, average points conceded, and average points differential.

Only games played on October 31 in the United States were included. Preseason and playoff games were excluded.

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