Houston Rockets Travel to New Orleans to Face the Pelicans

The Houston Rockets might be at the bottom of the Western Conference, but they can pull off upsets. Not long ago, they were able to get a 123-112 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. If they can recreate some of that magic against New Orleans, they might have a shot.

The question is, can they find a way to stop C.J. McCollum. If not, the Rockets might be in for a very long night.

The New Orleans Pelicans have hit a rough patch after winning four straight. One of the teams they lost to was the same team the Rockets beat. Exploiting the Rockets’ defense is what the Pelicans will try to do on Sunday.

The Pelicans are hopeful that Brandon Ingram will be back in the lineup on Sunday night. He’s still on the “day-to-day” list, so this could be a problem. 

Game Preview: Houston Rockets at New Orleans Pelicans March 13th

It’s common knowledge that the Rockets’ biggest problem is their defense. Ranked as the worst in the NBA, the Rockets allow an average of 117.94 points per game. Recently, they took on the Miami Heat, the leaders in the Eastern Conference.

Houston came in as 16.5-point underdogs and lost the game 116-123. With a defense this poor, you can’t rely on them to cover spreads.

The Pelicans have had their own troubles at the sportsbook recently. They came in as eight-point underdogs when they faced the Grizzlies and lost 132-111. In the game before that, they faced the Denver Nuggets and gave up 138 points.

It seems as if the Pelicans’ defense is on par with the Rockets. Because of that, the spread in this game shouldn’t be very large.

Houston Rockets at New Orleans Pelicans Betting Prediction

The Pelicans will likely be favored in this game, but not by very much. This benefits us, however, because we won’t have to worry about them covering a large margin. In their last game against Houston, the Pelicans were 8.5-point favorites.

They were also at home in that game and won 110-97, covering the spread. Expect a similar outcome in the upcoming game.

The Pelicans need all the wins they can get to keep the No.10 spot in the Western Conference. They could also have Brandon Ingram in the lineup, improving their chances.

You also have to take into consideration the poor defense of the Rockets. They’ve allowed plenty of teams to put up a lot of points against them. We don’t think this game will be much different. 

We’d also recommend taking the over in this game because of both teams’ defenses. The total in the last game went under, but in the last three meetings, they’ve hit the over twice.

The defenses of these teams are their weakest points. Look for both teams to have high-scoring games, with the Pelicans coming out on top and covering.

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* All odds 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.