Rockets vs. Pelicans Prediction
Will Sunday night’s matchup between the Rockets and Pelicans turn into a defensive struggle? Tip-off at the Smoothie King Center is set for 7:00 p.m. ET for this matchup.
Game Snapshot
539 Houston Rockets at 540 New Orleans Pelicans
7:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, March 24, 2019
Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
Our NBA Live Odds page pulls spreads and totals from multiple different online sportsbooks so you can compare betting odds to ensure you’re getting the best line.
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers from online sportsbook BetNow.eu, the Rockets are 9.5-point favorites to beat the Pelicans. The total, meanwhile, sits at 226.5 points and as of this writing, 66% of the public betting tickets wagered at online sportsbooks are on the Rockets to cover the point spread.
Houston Rockets Fantasy Spin
James Harden had another MVP moment during a thrilling 111-105 win over the Spurs on Friday, matching his career-high 61 points with seven rebounds, one assist, three steals, three turnovers and nine 3-pointers. Don’t give the award to Giannis Antetokounmpo just yet. It took about three minutes in the first quarter to know Harden was poised for a big night, scoring 27 points in the first quarter for the second-highest scoring quarter in franchise history (Vernon Maxwell’s 30 in 1991). After the game, coach Mike D’Antoni said that he’s the only one capable of stopping Harden because he could sit him on the bench. Harden joins Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players ever to have multiple 60-point games in a single season. He also has six of the eight 55-plus scoring games in the NBA this season. Harden is hungry for another MVP award and that desire may keep him in the lineup for the rest of the season. He’s going to be on a lot of fantasy championship rosters this year.
New Orleans Pelicans Fantasy Spin
Anthony Davis (personal) is not on the injury report for Sunday against the Rockets. We’ve only see AD in action once since St. Patrick’s Day with him getting the game off in Orlando on Wednesday, and the Pelicans having three days off since then. He’ll likely have his usual minutes limit, and it may even be more with so much time off. AD’s fantasy owners are still going to have to make sure he’s good because they could pull him after warmups.
NBA Betting Trends
Houston
The Rockets are just 2-5 against the spread in their last seven games versus the Pelicans.
New Orleans
The Pelicans are 1-7 against the spread in their last eight games overall and are winless against the number in their last five home games.
Prediction
The under is 21-7-1 in the previous 29 meetings between these two teams at Smoothie King Center and is 38-18-1 in their last 57 games overall. The under is also 5-1 in the Rockets’ last six games overall and 4-1 in their last five road games. On the other side, the under is 15-6-1 in the Pelicans’ last 22 games versus an opponent with a winning record and is 3-1-1 in their last five games versus an opponent with a winning percentage above .600.
Sunday NBA Prediction: Rockets/Pelicans under 226.5