The Houston Rockets (37-25) travel to face off against the New Orleans Pelicans (17-45) on Thursday, March 6th. This game will be played at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans and televised on SCHN. Both the Rockets and Pelicans will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Tip off is scheduled for 8:00 ET.

Rockets vs Pelicans

The Rockets Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Rockets fell to 37-25 on the season after a 115-102 road loss to the Pacers on Tuesday. Houston, who entered the game as +4.5 point underdogs, failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 217, falling short of the 231-point O/U line.

A key moment came when the Pacers went on a 10-0 run, stretching the score from 45-42 to 55-42. Houston cut the deficit to 90-83 by the end of the 3rd quarter, but they were outscored 25-19 in the 4th.

The Pelicans Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Pelicans fell to 17-45 on the season after a 136-115 loss to the Lakers on Tuesday. New Orleans entered the game as +7.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The combined score of 251 points exceeded the O/U line of 228.5 by 22.5 points.

New Orleans fell behind early, trailing 36-23 after the 1st quarter. An 11-0 run by the Lakers stretched the score from 46-43 to 57-43. The Pelicans won the 2nd quarter 36-33 but couldn’t close the gap, as the Lakers outscored them 33-25 in the 3rd and 34-31 in the 4th.

Rockets Offense Breakdown

In their 115-102 loss to the Pacers, the Rockets shot 40.8% from the field and made just 9 threes at a 30% clip. Alperen Şengün led Houston with 25 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists, hitting 63.2% of his shots.

Tari Eason contributed 16 points and 14 rebounds, while Dillon Brooks added 13 points despite shooting 25% from the field and 22.2% from three. Amen Thompson also chipped in 13 points, and Jalen Green and Jabari Smith each scored 12.

Pelicans Offense Breakdown

Zion Williamson’s 37 points on 73.9% shooting led the Pelicans in their loss to the Lakers, with Trey Murphy adding 19 points and Jordan Hawkins contributing 17. Williamson scored 13 points in the 2nd quarter, while Hawkins added 9 in the same period.

New Orleans shot 49.5% from the field, but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 9 threes at a 26.5% rate. Hawkins made 4 threes, shooting 40% from deep.

Rockets Team Defense

The Rockets struggled defensively in the 2nd quarter, giving up 37 points, and allowed the Pacers to shoot 51% from the field overall. Houston’s defense tightened up in the 3rd, where they allowed just 23 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the earlier damage.

From beyond the arc, the Rockets gave up 17 threes on 40% shooting. They also sent the Pacers to the line 10 times, where they hit all their free throws. Houston finished with 34 defensive rebounds, allowing 5 offensive boards, and recorded 6 steals.

Pelicans Team Defense

Defensively, the Rockets struggled in the 2nd quarter, giving up 37 points, and allowed 115 points overall in their loss to the Pacers. Houston allowed Indiana to shoot 51% from the field.

The Rockets also gave up 17 threes on 40% shooting. They sent the Pacers to the line 10 times, where they made all their free throws. Houston finished with 34 defensive rebounds, gave up 5 offensive boards, and recorded 6 steals.

Rockets vs Pelicans Trends

• In their last three games away from home, the Rockets have a straight up record of 0-3 while going 1-2 vs. the spread. The team averaged 115 points per game in this stretch.
• In their last three games at home, the Pelicans have a straight up record of 1-2 while going 0-3 vs. the spread. The team averaged 117 points per game in this stretch.
• Going back to their previous five games as the underdog, New Orleans has an ATS mark of 2-3 while going 2-3 straight up.
• Going back to their previous ten games as the favorite, Houston has an ATS mark of 3-7 while going 6-4 straight up.

Rockets vs Pelicans Prediction

The Pelicans come in as the underdog at +4.5, making them our top choice on the point spread. We not only expect them to cover the spread but also believe they have a strong chance of winning the game outright, especially if you’re aiming for a higher moneyline payout.

Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 228, and our model predicts the Rockets and Pelicans to score a combined 249 points. We recommend betting on the over.

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

* 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.