Pelicans Host Rockets as Both Teams Surging

Pelicans and Rockets Streaking at the Same Time

The New Orleans Pelicans battle the Houston Rockets at Smoothie King Center on Friday night. Tip-off is set for 8 pm EST. ESPN will have the coverage. Oddsmakers opened the Rockets as -4.5-point favorites versus the Pelicans, while the game’s total opened at 231.5. The line has held steady, but the total has dropped to 228.5. The super-charged Pelicans have won six of their last seven games. They are showcasing a newfound ability to efficiently make plays in the clutch. The Rockets have won seven of their last eight and four straight. One of those victories was a 116-108 win over the Golden State Warriors last Saturday. The Rockets have won nine of the last 11 meetings with the Pelicans.  Expect this one to be a bit tougher.  Houston outshot New Orleans 130-123 at home on Dec. 11. The teams combined for 154 points at the break. That can be misleading as the Pelicans played without Anthony Davis. The All-Star starter has shown the ability to go for 40 when needed. The Pelicans made 14 3-pointers in the first half of the first meeting. They finished with a franchise-record 18. New Orleans led 101-88 late in the third quarter. Then James Harden went to work. He scored 10 of his 26 points in the final three minutes to provide the game-winning margin. Harden had 17 assists and six steals to lead the comeback.

Pelicans are Learning to Win

Last time out for New Orleans, they were a 101-96 winner as they battled the Charlotte Hornets on the road. The Pelicans covered in the match as a +2.5-point underdog, while 197 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors. The Pelicans have found a way to win close games. Three of their recent victories came in overtime. Their 101-96 road win over the Charlotte Hornets was a blowout. New Orleans leads the NBA in “clutch” minutes. Those are minutes which are tallied when a game is within five points in the final five minutes. Of the Pelicans’ 136 clutch minutes this season, 55 have come in the last nine games since Jan. 10.

Harden is Leading Rockets Surge

Houston was a 104-97 winner in its last matchup on the road against the Dallas Mavericks. They covered the -6.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score of 201 sent UNDER bettors to the payout window. Rockets forward Ryan Anderson, who is a former Pelican, is averaging 12.5 points a game. He is shooting 39.9 percent on 3-pointers away from home. Center Clint Capela has scored in double digits in 11 consecutive games. Chris Paul has joined LeBron James and Russell Westbrook. They are the only NBA players averaging 18 points, eight assists and five rebounds. Nene expected to be able to come back from a bruised right knee suffered Monday night. That can only help the Rockets

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Houston Rockets

New Orleans Pelicans

Supergrid

Title	Stat	Rank	Stat	Rank
Away Team Overall Scoring vs Home Team Overall Defense	114.13	2	110.60	29
Away Team Away Scoring vs Home Team Home Defense	111.18	2	112.95	30
Away Team Road Rebounds vs Home Team Home Rebounds Allowed	44.18	12	42.27	17
Home Team Overall Scoring vs Away Team Overall Defense	111.00	4	106.37	18
Home Team Home Scoring vs Away Team Road Defense	114.27	2	103.59	6
Home Team Home Rebounds vs Away Team Road Rebounds Allowed	41.95	24	41.73	3

Head To Head Summary

Head To Head Detail

NBA Betting Trends

Houston Rockets
Houston is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
Houston is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston’s last 5 games
Houston is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Houston is 16-6 SU in its last 22 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Houston’s last 9 games on the road
Houston is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing New Orleans
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Houston’s last 20 games when playing New Orleans
Houston is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Houston’s last 19 games when playing on the road against New Orleans

New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Orleans’s last 7 games
New Orleans is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home
New Orleans is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 12 of New Orleans’s last 13 games at home
New Orleans is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of New Orleans’s last 20 games when playing Houston
New Orleans is 8-4 ATS in its last 12 games when playing at home against Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of New Orleans’s last 19 games when playing at home against Houston

Houston Rockets

New Orleans Pelicans

Next up: Houston home to Phoenix Sunday, January 28 New Orleans home to Los Angeles Sunday, January 28 Get all your NBA Odds at Bovada Online Sportsbook.