New Orleans Pelicans vs Houston Rockets Preview
The 12th ranked Houston Rockets (24-30) are 7-point underdogs on the road against the 6th ranked New Orleans Pelicans (33-22). The over/under line in this game is 228 points.
This Southwest Division matchup will take place at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans and is scheduled to begin at 8:00 ET. The game will be televised on BSNO.
Check out BetCoco for New Orleans Pelicans – Houston Rockets odds
New Orleans Pelicans vs Houston Rockets Head-to-Head and Key Stats
The last five times that the Pelicans have hosted the Rockets, they have an above .500 record at 3-2. The last last three times that the Rockets have faced off against the Pelicans as the underdog, they are 2-1 vs. the spread.
- Through their last ten road games, Houston has an ATS record of just 3-7. However, their overall record was 1-9 while averaging 111 points per game.
- Across their five previous home games, New Orleans has an ATS mark of 2-3. Their straight up record in these matchups was 4-1 while averaging 108 points per game.
- Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Rockets have gone 4-6 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 1-9.
- In their last three games as the betting favorite, the Pelicans have a straight up record of 3-0, while going 1-2 against the spread.
New Orleans Pelicans vs Houston Rockets Prediction
Houston is 24-30 this season after losing to the Grizzlies by a score of 121-113. The Rockets were favored by 2.5 points in that game, and they are now 28-25 ATS for the season.
This year, the Rockets have an O/U record of 25-29, and their games have averaged 226.1 points per game. Today’s O/U line is set at 228, and 40 of their games have had lower O/U lines than that.
On the road, the Rockets are 9-16 ATS for the season, and their straight-up record is 5-21. As the underdog, they are 10-25 straight-up and 16-18 ATS. Houston has lost four straight games as the underdog.
In the Western Conference, the Rockets are currently in 12th place with a record of 24-30. Against other Western Conference teams, they are 16-14 compared to 8-16 against the East.
Heading into their game against the Pelicans, the Rockets are 22nd in the league in scoring at 113.3 points per game. However, they have been better at home, averaging 115.2 points compared to 111.3 on the road.
One area where Houston has struggled this season is three-point shooting. They are 26th in the NBA in three-point percentage at 35%. Overall, the Rockets are 25th in field goal percentage at 46%.
When it comes to getting to the free-throw line, Houston is 9th in attempts at 23.6 per game. They are also 13th in made free throws at 18.2 per contest.
At present, the Rockets’ defense is ranked 10th, allowing 112.7 points per game. In the terms of takeaways, Rockets are causing 12.4 turnovers per game, ranking 11th in the league. They also enter the matchup ranked 26th in rejections, averaging 4.4 blocked shots each game.
In their last game against the Wizards, the Pelicans won 133-126. The O/U line for that game was 234.5 points.
New Orleans is currently on a three-game winning streak and is 6th in the Western Conference with a record of 33-22. In the Southwest Division, they are in 1st place.
The Pelicans have an ATS record of 30-25 this season, going 15-11 ATS at home and 15-14 ATS on the road. Today, they are favored by 7 points and have gone 15-16 ATS as the favorite.
Out of their 55 games this season, the Pelicans have been favored in 31 of them. As the favorite, they have a scoring margin of +7.7 points per game. Their O/U record for the season is 26-29.
On average, the Pelicans’ games have finished with 228.7 points this season, which is right in line with today’s O/U line of 228.2. Overall, their games have averaged a combined scoring line of 230.2 points.
So far this season, the Pelicans are scoring 116.5 points per game, which is 14th in the NBA. At home, they are averaging 117.6 points per game.
When it comes to pace, the Pelicans are 19th in the league with 98.1 possessions per game.
From a shooting perspective, the Pelicans are 9th in field goal percentage at 48%. They are also 9th in three-point shooting at 37%. However, they are just 19th in three-point attempts per game.
New Orleans’ defense has been playing well, ranking 8th in the NBA with 112.2 points allowed per game. In terms of two point field goal attempts, the Pelicans defense has allowed a shooting percentage of 55.9% while allowing 34.5% from downtown.
Looking at our projections, the Pelicans are expected to take down the Rockets by a score of 133-125.
New Orleans Pelicans vs Houston Rockets Betting Tips
- Take the Pelicans on the moneyline
- The Pelicans should also cover at -7
- Projecting a combined 258 points, we like the over
New Orleans Pelicans Injury Report
- Cody Zeller – Knee – Questionable
- Brandon Ingram – Illness – Questionable
- Dyson Daniels – Knee – Out
Houston Rockets Injury Report
- Steven Adams – Knee – Out
- Reggie Bullock – Lower Back – Questionable
- Tari Eason – Leg – Out
