Houston Rockets vs New Orleans Pelicans Betting Pick & Prediction 12/26/24
At 8:00 ET, the Houston Rockets (-310) will take on the New Orleans Pelicans (+251) in a Western Southwest Division matchup. The Rockets are currently favored by 7.5 points, and the over/under line is set at 220.5.
This game will be played at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. The Rockets are currently on a three-game win streak and have a record of 20-9, which is good for second place in the Western Conference. On the other hand, the Pelicans have lost seven straight and have a record of 5-25, which is the worst in the West.
HOUSTON ROCKETS VS NEW ORLEANS PELICANS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Houston Rockets -7.5
This game will be played at Smoothie King Center at 8:00 ET on Thursday, December 26th.
WHY BET THE HOUSTON ROCKETS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 121-113 in favor of the Rockets.
- Our projections have Jalen Green finishing with 21 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.
- From the field, we have the Rockets finishing with a field goal percentage of 45.9% and knocking down 11 threes.
Can the Rockets Pull Off a Road Win?
With a 114-101 win over the Hornets on Monday, the Rockets improved to 20-9 this season. Houston, favored by 6 points, covered the spread, while the game’s total of 215 points fell short of the 221-point over/under line.
A 14-0 run helped the Rockets take control early, as they held Charlotte to just 31 points in the first half. Though the Hornets outscored Houston 70-52 in the second half, the Rockets’ big lead allowed them to coast to victory.
Jabari Smith Jr. led the Rockets with 21 points and 11 rebounds in their win over the Hornets, shooting 50% from the field and hitting 2 threes at 40% efficiency. Fred VanVleet added 20 points, 6 assists, and 3 made threes, also shooting 50% overall. Amen Thompson contributed 19 points and 11 rebounds, connecting on 50% of his shots.
As a team, the Rockets shot 43.4% from the field and made 13 threes at a 31% clip. VanVleet scored 12 of his 20 points in the opening quarter, while Smith and Thompson each added 8 points in the 3rd. Cam Whitmore also scored 8 points in the 4th quarter, finishing with 17 points in the game.
The Rockets’ defense was dominant in the 1st half, giving up just 15 points in the 1st quarter and 16 in the 2nd, helping them to a win despite a rough 2nd half. Overall, they held the Hornets to 101 points on 41% shooting.
Houston did a great job defending the three, allowing just 10 made threes on 27% shooting. They also sent the Hornets to the line 24 times, where they made 17 free throws. The Rockets finished with 39 defensive rebounds, gave up 11 offensive boards, and added 8 blocks.
Can The Pelicans Secure a Home Victory?
New Orleans dropped to 5-25 on the season after a 132-129 loss to the Nuggets on Sunday. The Pelicans were +8.5 point underdogs but managed to cover the spread at home. The game’s total points of 261 exceeded the O/U line of 231.5 by 29.5 points.
New Orleans led 93-81 going into the 4th quarter after winning each of the first three quarters (29-28, 38-31, 26-22), but the Nuggets outscored them 38-26 in the final period to complete the comeback.
In their 132-129 loss to the Nuggets, the Pelicans shot 46.3% from the field and made 12 threes at a 30% clip. Jordan Hawkins led the way with 25 points, hitting 5 threes at 38.5%, while CJ McCollum added 24 points and 9 assists, connecting on 4 threes at 40%.
Yves Missi contributed 21 points and 9 rebounds, shooting 75% from the field. Hawkins scored 8 points in both the 2nd and 4th quarters, while McCollum added 9 in the 2nd and 6 more in the 4th, plus 2 in overtime.
Despite a strong defensive showing in the 3rd quarter, the Pelicans couldn’t contain the Nuggets in the 4th, giving up 38 points in a 132-129 loss. Overall, New Orleans allowed Denver to shoot 50% from the field.
The Pelicans did well in limiting the Nuggets’ three-point shooting, holding them to 30% from beyond the arc with just 10 made threes. New Orleans also came up with 16 steals and 9 blocks in the game.