The New Orleans Pelicans (5-22) travel to face off against the Houston Rockets (17-9) on Thursday, December 19th. This game will be played at Toyota Center in Houston and televised on SCHN. Both the Pelicans and Rockets will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Tip off is scheduled for 8:00 ET.

Pelicans vs Rockets

The Pelicans Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Pelicans fell to 5-22 on the season after a 119-104 road loss to the Pacers on Sunday. New Orleans entered the game as +7 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total score of 223 points fell short of the 230.5-point over/under line.

Indiana took control early with a 12-0 run, turning an 8-3 deficit into a 15-8 lead. The Pelicans struggled in the 2nd quarter, scoring just 14 points while allowing 28. New Orleans tried to rally in the 3rd, scoring 38 points, but they still trailed 99-80 heading into the 4th. They outscored the Pacers 24-20 in the final quarter, but it wasn’t enough to close the gap.

The Rockets Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Rockets fell to 17-9 on the season after a 111-96 loss to the Thunder on Saturday. Houston, who entered the game as +5.5 point underdogs, failed to cover the spread. The combined score of 207 points fell short of the 215-point O/U line.

An 11-0 run by the Thunder, extending the score from 51-48 to 59-51, was a turning point. Houston trailed 75-69 going into the 4th quarter but were outscored 36-27 in the final period.

Pelicans Offense Breakdown

In their 119-104 loss to the Pacers on Sunday, the Pelicans struggled offensively, shooting just 39.2% from the field and hitting 30.3% of their three-point attempts, making 10 threes overall. Brandon Boston led the team with 20 points, connecting on 3 threes at a 75% rate.

Herbert Jones and Dejounte Murray each added 19 points, with Jones scoring 10 in the 3rd quarter. Murray also contributed 7 rebounds and 7 assists, scoring 9 points in the 3rd period.

Rockets Offense Breakdown

The Rockets struggled offensively in their 111-96 loss to the Thunder, shooting just 36.5% from the field and 23.9% from three-point range, hitting 11 threes overall. Amen Thompson led the way with 19 points, scoring 10 of those in the 2nd quarter.

Dillon Brooks and Jabari Smith each added 14 points, with Brooks hitting 4 threes despite shooting 29.4% from the field. Alperen Şengün contributed 9 of his 13 points in the 4th quarter, while Jalen Green and Tari Eason both finished with 12 points.

Pelicans Team Defense

Defensively, the Pelicans struggled in the 3rd quarter, giving up 40 points, which contributed to their 119-104 loss to the Pacers. New Orleans allowed Indiana to shoot 50% from the field, including 42% from beyond the arc, where the Pacers hit 16 threes.

The Pelicans sent the Pacers to the line 24 times, where they converted 21 free throws. New Orleans gave up 7 offensive rebounds but managed to record 11 steals and 4 blocks in the game.

Rockets Team Defense

Defensively, the Pelicans struggled in the 3rd quarter, giving up 40 points, which contributed to their 119-104 loss to the Pacers. They allowed Indiana to shoot 50% from the field overall.

New Orleans also had trouble defending the three, as the Pacers hit 16 threes at a 42% clip. The Pelicans sent Indiana to the line 24 times, where they made 21 free throws. Defensively, the Pelicans recorded 11 steals and 4 blocks.

Pelicans vs Rockets Trends

• Although New Orleans has a straight up record of 0-5 in their last five road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 2-3. The team averaged 105 points per game in these games.
• In their last three games at home, the Rockets have a straight up record of 1-2 while going 1-2 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 102 points per game in these contests.
• Looking back on the team’s last five games as the underdog, the Pelicans have a straight up record of 1-4. Their record vs the spread in these games was 3-2.
• In their last three contests as the favorite, Houston has a poor record vs the spread going 1-2. But, they still put together a straight up mark of 2-1.

Pelicans vs Rockets Prediction

For today’s matchup we are recommending to take the Rockets to secure the win, with an expected final score of 135-109. When it comes to the spread, we believe they’ll cover at -9.5.

As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 217.5, and our model projects the Pelicans and Rockets to reach a combined total of 244 points. Our bet is on taking the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.