The Houston Rockets will host the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night at Toyota Center. With only a few hours remaining until tipoff, what’s less clear is whether many of the biggest marquee names will play.
The Pelicans (21-27), who enter coming off two straight losses, have three big names who are listed as questionable to play on the official injury report: Zion Williamson (right thumb sprain), Brandon Ingram (right toe inflammation), and Lonzo Ball (right hip flexor strain). Ingram was an NBA All-Star in 2020, while Williamson earned the honor this year.
Meanwhile, the Rockets (13-35) — who have lost their last three straight — will be without John Wall (left knee effusion) for a third consecutive game. Christian Wood is not listed on Houston’s injury report, which indicates that he will play despite limping off late Friday in Boston.
The Pelicans are 1.5 games behind Golden State for the No. 10 spot in the Western Conference, which is the final berth in the West’s play-in tournament to qualify for the 2021 playoffs. Thus, they should be highly motivated to snap their recent slide against a weaker opponent on paper.
The lines, courtesy of BetMGM
- Point spread: Rockets +5 (-110), Pelicans -5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Rockets +165/Pelicans -200
- Over-under: 222.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
- Player O/U Scoring Props: TBD, given injury reports
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If the “questionable” names play, New Orleans will likely start Lonzo Ball, Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, and Steven Adams. Meanwhile, with Wall sidelined, Houston will apparently start Kevin Porter Jr., Sterling Brown, Danuel House Jr., Jae’Sean Tate and Christian Wood for a third consecutive game.
In addition to Wall, Houston’s injury report includes Eric Gordon (groin), David Nwaba (wrist) and Dante Exum (calf), who all remain sidelined by longer-term injuries. Besides the questionable names, New Orleans is listing Josh Hart as out (right thumb sprain) and Kira Lewis Jr. (right calf strain) as doubtful for Sunday night at Toyota Center.
Advice and prediction
The point spread is lower than it would normally be between these teams, reflecting the injury uncertainty with the Pelicans. Thus, if you believe that New Orleans will play at least one of their injured star players, there’s potential value in a lower-than-expected line.
Given their high sense of urgency to make the playoffs and this being a game they know they should win, expect Stan Van Gundy to allow Ingram and/or Williamson to play, if at all possible. If that’s the case, the spread being as low as it is could be a gift.
Prediction: 119-110, Pelicans
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