The Houston Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans kick off their seasons at Toyota Center. The game can be seen on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, October 17, 2018.
The game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 228.5 points with Houston opening as a 7.5-point favorite.
New Orleans Pelicans at Houston Rockets Free Prediction
New Orleans went 48-34 in the regular season last season, earning them the six seed in the Western Conference. They reached the Conference Semifinals, where they fell to the Golden State Warriors in five games. Following a 65-17 regular season campaign, Houston made the playoffs as the top seed in the Western Conference last season. They reached the Conference Finals, where the Golden State Warriors defeated them in seven games.
Houston should be expected to protect the ball well in this contest. In the 2017-18 season, Houston ranked fifth in the NBA at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of 12.9 percent), while New Orleans forced the ninth-fewest turnovers (13.3 percent). Additionally, put-back points could be rare for the Pelicans. They ranked 29th in the league in offensive rebounding percentage at 19.8 percent, while the Rockets were third-best on the defensive glass (defensive rebounding percentage of 79.9 percent).
The Pelicans had a decent 48-34 straight up (SU) record last season, but had difficulty covering the spread (38-42-2 against the spread (ATS)). Of New Orleans’ 82 games that accepted bets last season, 44 finished under the O/U total.
The Rockets, on the other hand, were 65-17 SU and 48-44-1 ATS last season. Houston games had a slight tendency to go over the projected point total (49.5 percent).
The Rockets won three out of four contests against the Pelicans last season. In the last matchup, Houston won 114-91. Houston had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.581 vs. 0.427). New Orleans, on the other hand, had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (21.8 vs. 12.8).
New Orleans Pelicans at Houston Rockets Betting Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Rockets, ATS Winner – Pelicans, O/U – Under
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Notes
Betting Notes (2017-Present):
When allowing less than 100 points, New Orleans is 13-2 and Houston is 38-3.
The Rockets are 71-15 when they score above 100 points, while the Pelicans are 49-25.
New Orleans ranks first in points in the paint per game (52.6) while Houston ranks 28th (41.1).
The Rockets average 41.9 three pointers per game, which ranks first in the NBA. The Pelicans rank 26th in three pointers allowed per game (30.7).
New Orleans ranks third in assists per game (26.8) while Houston ranks 28th (21.1).
The Rockets rank sixth in second chance points allowed per game (11.6) while the Pelicans rank 28th (13.7).
Houston ranks sixth in rebounds allowed per game (42.3) while New Orleans ranks 25th (45.6).
The Rockets rank fifth in steals per game (8.5) while the Pelicans rank 22nd in steals allowed per game (8.3).
New Orleans ranks third in fast break points per game (15.5) while Houston ranks 17th (11.2).
The Rockets rank 11th in points off turnovers per game (16.9) while the Pelicans rank 24th in points off turnovers allowed per game (17.5).
New Orleans ranks third in blocks per game (5.8) while Houston ranks 13th (4.9).
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