The New Orleans Pelicans (21-27) are in the “Space City” Sunday to play the Houston Rockets (13-35) at Toyota Center. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze the Pelicans-Rockets odds and lines, with NBA picks and predictions.
New Orleans has lost two straight with PF Zion Williamson, SF Brandon Ingram and PG Lonzo Ball out with injury.
The first loss was to the “tank mode” Orlando Magic 115-110 in overtime as 5-point home favorites, and the second to a Trae Young-less Atlanta Hawks 126-103 at home.
The Pelicans have fallen to 12th in the West 2.5 games behind the Golden State Warriors for the 10-seed.
Speaking of “tank mode”, whether intentional or not, the Rockets should be deep into draft prep because their season is lost.
Houston has lost three in a row, five out of six and 25 out of the last 27 games. Over that stretch, the Rockets have covered just five games.
This is the rubber match of the Pelicans-Rockets regular-season series with each team winning and covering one game, but both were played in New Orleans.
Pelicans at Rockets: Odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 3:15 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Pelicans -225 (bet $225 to win $100) | Rockets +180 (bet $100 to win $180)
- Against the spread/ATS: Pelicans -5.5 (-110) | Rockets +5.5 (-110)
- Over/Under: 222.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
Pelicans at Rockets: Key injuries
Pelicans
- PF Zion Williamson (thumb) questionable
- SF Brandon Ingram (toe) questionable
- PG Lonzo Ball (hip) questionable
- SG Josh Hart (thumb) out
- PG Kira Lewis (calf) out
Rockets
- PG John Wall (knee) out
- SG Eric Gordon (groin) out
- SF David Nwaba (wrist) out
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Pelicans at Rockets: Odds, lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Pelicans 117, Rockets 114
Money line (ML)
PASS because there’s no point in betting or even watching this game until the final injury report is released. Proceed with caution.
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Against the spread (ATS)
“LEAN” to ROCKETS +5.5 (-110) for a half-unit, which would be upgraded to a “like” if we knew Zion was out.
However, don’t sleep on the loss of Hart to the Pelicans’ second unit; Hart bolsters New Orleans’ team rebounding and defense.
Also, the Pelicans aren’t good enough to be laying 5.5 points on the road with all of these injury issues.
Over/Under (O/U)
The first two Pelicans-Rockets meetings this season both went Over the total by a combined 20.5 points and neither team can play defense regardless of injuries.
Plus the last two Pelicans games went Over the total despite their lineup absences. “LEAN” to OVER 222.5 (-115) for a quarter-unit.
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