The Houston Rockets (58-14) will try to continue their seven-game winning streak against the New Orleans Pelicans (43-30) at Toyota Center. The game will air on NBATV at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 24, 2018.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 228 points with Houston opening as a 9.5-point favorite.
New Orleans Pelicans at Houston Rockets ATS Prediction
In the Pelicans’ last contest, they topped the Los Angeles Lakers, 128-125. New Orleans had a turnover percentage of 6.3 (better than their season average of 13.0). Los Angeles, meanwhile, did a fantastic job of making free throws (22-28; 78.6 percent). New Orleans received a boost from Anthony Davis, who was the top scorer from either team with 33 points on 12-for-20 shooting.
The Rockets were victorious over the Detroit Pistons in their last game, 100-96. Getting to the charity stripe was one of Houston’s biggest advantages. They had 28 free throw attempts, nine more than Detroit. With 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists, Houston’s James Harden played well.
The prolific offense of Houston will battle against the mid-tier defense of New Orleans. The Rockets rank first in offensive efficiency, while the Pelicans are 15th in defensive efficiency. The Rockets figure to have the edge on that side of the ball. Furthermore, the Pelicans, who rank 28th in offensive rebounding percentage (19.8 percent), will battle against the Rockets, who rank third in defensive rebounding percentage (80.0 percent).
New Orleans heads into the game with records of 43-30 straight up (SU) and 40-32-1 against the spread (ATS). Vegas has a tendency to place the total low when the Pelicans are involved, as 60.3 percent of their games have finished over the total.
Meanwhile, Houston is 58-14 SU and 37-33-2 ATS. Unlike New Orleans, a little over half of Rockets games have finished under the total.
E’Twaun Moore has averaged 13.8 points and 3.2 assists over the last five games for New Orleans.
The Rockets lead the season series against the Pelicans two games to one, including a 107-101 victory in their last matchup. Houston was unable to cover as an 8.5-point favorite and the game finished with a total of 208 points, which was 18.5 points below the projected point total of 226.5 points. The Rockets had a much better turnover percentage (6.5 vs. 12.0) and had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (27.7 vs. 15.4). Harden put up a double-double in the victory with 32 points and 11 rebounds.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Houston Rockets ATS Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – Rockets, ATS Winner – Pelicans, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, New Orleans is 23-13 ATS with 18 overs and 18 unders.
Houston is 13-20-1 ATS at home with 17 overs and 17 unders.
When allowing under 100 points, Houston is 27-2 and New Orleans is 10-2.
The Rockets are 56-11 when they score above 100 points, while the Pelicans are 40-19.
Houston averages 42.1 three pointers per game, which ranks first in the NBA. New Orleans ranks 27th in three pointers allowed per game (30.6).
The Pelicans rank second in points in the paint per game (52.0) while the Rockets rank 28th in points allowed in the paint per game (48.3).
Houston ranks third in rebounds allowed per game (41.6) while New Orleans ranks 26th (45.4).
The Pelicans rank second in assists per game (26.5) while the Rockets rank 24th (21.7).
Houston averages 8.5 steals per game, which ranks fifth in the NBA. New Orleans ranks 22nd in steals allowed per game (8.1).
The Rockets rank 12th in second chance points allowed per game (11.9) while the Pelicans rank 27th (13.6).
New Orleans ranks third in blocks per game (5.9) while Houston ranks 16th (4.7).
The Rockets average 17.5 points off turnovers per game, which ranks eighth in the NBA. The Pelicans rank 21st in points off turnovers allowed per game (17.4).
Houston ranks 15th in fast break points allowed per game (11.6) while New Orleans ranks 28th (14.5).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, New Orleans is 4-0-1 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
Houston is 1-3-1 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over their last five games.
The Pelicans’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 6.0, up from 0.7 for the season.
During their last five games, the Rockets have scored an average of 110.4 points per game (3.1 below their season average) and allowed an average of 104.8 points per game (0.1 above their season average).
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