Pelicans vs Rockets Pick, Preview & Betting Odds For Friday, March 17th

Check out our free Pelicans vs Rockets pick and preview for this NBA game in Houston. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this NBA matchup.

Pelicans vs Rockets NBA Pick & Preview

Sport: NBA
Teams: New Orleans Pelicans at Houston Rockets
Where: Houston at Toyota Center
Date: Friday, March 17th
Betting Odds HOU +6, NO -239 | HOU +195 O/U 230.5

So far, the Pelicans have put together an overall record of 33-36, while going 31-38-0 vs the spread. Over the team’s past 3 games, New Orleans has an overall record of 1-2, including going 1-2 against the spread.

The Pelicans are coming off a disappointing 123-108 loss to the Lakers. Going into the game, they were favored to win by 2 points. New Orleans got off to a slow start, trailing by 35 points going into halftime. In the loss, Brandon Ingram led the team in scoring with 22 points on a field goal percentage of 52.9%.

The Rockets come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 17-52. So far, the team has gone 27-40-2 against the spread. Houston comes into the game having rattled off 2 straight wins. In these victories, the team has an average scoring margin of 3.0 points per game

Houston is going for yet another win, as they previously defeated the Lakers at home. With the 114-110 victory, they also covered the spread as 3 point underdogs. Houston went on to win the game, as they led by 14 heading into halftime. Leading the team in scoring was Kevin Porter Jr., as he contributed 27 points while hitting 68.8% of his shots.

Head To Head Recap & Stats

In the most recent matchup between the two teams, the Pelicans picked up the 119-106 win over the Rockets. The Pelicans point margin of victory was enough to cover the spread as 10.5 point favorite. So far this season, the Pelicans have a record of 2-0 vs the Rockets. In last year’s head-to-head meetings, the Pelicans averaged 117.0 points per game vs Houston, which was an increase over their season-long average. While the Pelicans saw a boost in scoring, the Rockets averaged 106.75 points per contest in head-to-head meeting vs New Orleans. This figure was similar to season-long average. Over the last 5 head to head meetings, the Pelicans have averaged 119 points per game compared to 104 for Houston. This has led to an ATS record of 5-0 for New Orleans. The over-under record in these same games is 2-3, with the teams combining for an average of 223 points per game.

Odds & Free Betting Analysis For This NBA Game

Through 69 games, New Orleans is averaging 113.9 points per game (17th). Coming into today’s game, the Pelicans will be looking to improve their 3-point shooting numbers, as they are averaging just 10.8 made 3’s per game. If the New Orleans offense is going to turn things around, not only do they need to improve their outside shooting but they must do a better job protecting the ball. Currently, they are averaging 14.2 turnovers per game.

Currently, the Pelicans defense is ranked 13th in points allowed. So far, opposing teams are averaging 110.28 points per game vs the unit.

On offense, CJ McCollum leads the Pelicans in scoring at 21.1 points per game, placing him 43rd in the NBA. Overall, McCollum has hit 43.4% of his shots while accounting for 20.7% of the team’s looks from the field. In today’s game, he will be working against a defensive unit that is 30th in points allowed to point-guards. At 14.0 points per game, Jonas Valanciunas is the 2nd leading scorer for the Pelicans. For the season, he is 70th in the league in player efficiency rating, while posting a field goal percentage of 54.8%.

The Rockets come into today’s game as the 29th ranked scoring offense at 110.3 points per game. When looking at the team’s pace of play, the Rockets are currently below the league average in possessions per game, averaging just 98.9 per contest. Right now, the Rockets offense is in search of answers, as not only do they tend to play at a slow pace, but they are just 29th in effective field goal percentage.

On defense, the Rockets will look for some improved play, as they are currently the 30th ranked unit in points allowed per game.

Shooting Guard Jalen Green currently leads the Rockets at 21.6 points per game. For the season, he is 36th in the NBA in usage rate and has taken 20.1% of the team’s field goal attempts. In addition to his scoring, Green is averaging 3.9 boards and 3.6 assists per contest. In today’s game, he is facing off against the NBA’s 20th ranked defense at defending shooting guards. Alperen Sengün enters the game sitting second on the team in scoring. Through 63 games, he is averaging 14.7 and is 66th in the league in player efficiency rating.