Houston Rockets vs. New Orleans Pelicans: 3 Best Bets

The Houston Rockets are favored against an injured New Orleans Pelicans team, so we broke down the best bets with a shorthanded opponent in mind.

The Houston Rockets (4-3) have won four straight games and are looking to make it five in a row against the New Orleans Pelicans (4-4). 

This is Houston’s first game of the new NBA In-Season Tournament. The color of the court will not have an impact on the lines and spreads provided by SI Sportsbook.

Alperen Şengün, Zion Williamson, and Herbert Jones are both listed as questionable, Naji Marshall is doubtful, and Amen Thompson, Victor Oladipo, Jose Alvarado, CJ McCollum, and Trey Murphy III are all listed as out.

The Lines

Point spread: Pelicans +2.5 (-110)/Rockets -2.5 (-125)

Moneyline: Pelicans (+110)/Rockets (-150)

Over/under: 218.5

Our Picks

Team pick: Rockets to win (-150)

Houston is riding a hot streak, so even if Şengün doesn’t suit up, expect the Rockets to have an advantage. Even if Williamson plays, being without Alvarado, McCollum, and Jones means the starting five for New Orleans will be heavily depleted. The odds being -150 doesn’t make it a value pick, but Houston has been amazing at home so far, and there’s no reason to expect that to change.

Safe pick: Jalen Green OVER 23.5 points (-110)

Jalen Green has looked very good in his last two games. His efficiency has been up, and he is a much more confident three-point shooter than he was at the start of the season. With McCollum, Alverado, and Jones all unlikely to play, there isn’t a defender on the court who can stop him. As an unofficial bonus pick today, you could also bet Fred VanVleet’s over (17.5) for the same reasons: little to no perimeter defense.

Opponent pick: Brandon Ingram OVER 24.5 points (-125)

Brandon Ingram is only averaging 21.4 points this season, so his over/under being this high would normally give us pause, but not tonight. Yes, he will have to match up with Dillon Brooks, who has been on a tear this season, but with a filled injury report, New Orleans doesn’t have a scoring option aside from Ingram. Currently, Williamson is still available to bet (24.5), but his track record suggests that he will not play.

The Rockets are favored to win, which was not expected to be the case very often when the season started. After starting 0-3, Houston has put the pieces together and is emerging as one of the most promising young teams in the league.