Pelicans vs Rockets Pick, Preview & Betting Odds For Sunday, March 19th

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: Sunday, March 19th
Betting Odds HOU +5, NO -211 | HOU +174 O/U 227.5

So far, the Pelicans have put together an overall record of 33-37, while going 31-39-0 vs the spread. The Pelicans come into the game in the middle of a 2 game losing streak, losing these matchups by an average of -8.5 points per contest.

In their previous game, the Pelicans were favored to win vs the Rockets. However, their 114-112 loss, gave them both a straight up and ATS loss. New Orleans let an opportunity for a win slip away as they held a lead going into the 2nd half of action. In the loss, Brandon Ingram led the team in scoring with 31 points on a field goal percentage of 45.0%.

So far, the Rockets have put together an overall record of 18-52, while going 28-40-2 vs the spread. Houston comes into the game having rattled off 3 straight wins. In these victories, the team has an average scoring margin of 2.67 points per game

Houston is going for yet another win, as they previously defeated the Pelicans at home. With the 114-112 victory, they also covered the spread as 5 point underdogs. Houston pulled out the win despite trailing by 5 going into halftime. The team did not put a dent in this deficit in the 3rd quarter, but put together a strong comeback effort in the 4th. In the win, Jalen Green led the team in scoring with 25 points on a field goal percentage of 50.0%.

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 2-1 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 118 points per game compared to 106 for Houston. This has led to an ATS record of 4-1 for New Orleans. The over-under record in these same games is 1-4, with the teams combining for an average of 224 points per game.

Odds & Free Betting Analysis For This NBA Game

This season, the New Orleans offense is ranked 16th in the NBA in scoring at 113.9 points per game. So far, the Pelicans are averaging 99.5 possessions per game, which places them below the NBA average. If the Pelicans offense is going to turn things around, they will need to either generate more possessions or improve their overall efficiency. Currently, they are just 19th ranked team in 3-point shooting percentage.

Defensively, New Orleans has had its problems giving up an average of 110.28 points per game (13th).

This season, the Pelicans offense has primarily worked through CJ McCollum and Jonas Valanciunas who are 1st and 2nd on the team in scoring. In his 63 games, McCollum is 45th in the NBA at 21.0 points per game. So far, him and Valanciunas have accounted for 32% of the team’s field goal attempts while combining to average 35.1 points per contest. In addition to sitting 2nd on the team in scoring, Jonas Valanciunas is grabbing 9.7 rebounds for New Orleans to go along with 1.6 assists.

The Rockets come into today’s game as the 29th ranked scoring offense at 110.4 points per game. Coming into today’s game, the Rockets will be looking to improve their 3-point shooting numbers, as they are averaging just 10.7 made 3’s per game. If Houston continues to struggle with their outside shot, they may look to start playing with more pace, as they are currently 18th in the league in possessions per game.

Against the Pelicans, the Rockets will need a stronger defensive effort as they are ranked just 30th in points allowed.

Shooting Guard Jalen Green currently leads the Rockets at 21.7 points per game. For the season, he is 34th in the NBA in usage rate and has taken 20.2% 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 64 games, he is averaging 14.7 and is 67th in the league in player efficiency rating.