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Tom Oldfield<\/a> 22+ years betting experience<\/p>\n \n Updated: \u2022 4 min read<\/p>\n Our Rockets vs. Pelicans predictions don’t expect a back-and-forth affair at Smoothie King Center tonight.<\/p>\n Photo By – Reuters Connect. Amen Thompson takes the ball up the floor in a recent game.<\/p>\n For a team that could still win 50 games this year, there\u2019s a surprising amount of gloom around the Houston Rockets, and it\u2019s a \u201cwhere do we go from here?\u201d derby tonight as they visit the New Orleans Pelicans. <\/p>\n Houston is just 7-7 in March while New Orleans has dropped four games in a row, and my Rockets vs. Pelicans predictions and NBA picks<\/a> signal a struggle for both offenses tonight.<\/p>\n Rockets vs Pelicans prediction Put simply, this isn\u2019t likely a matchup for basketball purists who love slick offense. That makes the Under a value pick tonight. It\u2019s 2-7 in the New Orleans Pelicans<\/a>\u2019 last nine contests, and 41-32 for the Houston Rockets<\/a> this season. <\/p>\n The numbers tell a compelling story for a low-scoring scrap. Houston is allowing just 110.2 ppg this year, the fourth-best mark in the league, and should lock down a New Orleans offense that may be without Dejounte Murray and Trey Murphy III again. <\/p>\n The Pelicans have thrown Jeremiah Fears into a bigger role with the season fading away, and they looked toothless in Toronto on Friday, managing just 44 points in the first half.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Houston’s over-reliance on Kevin Durant<\/a> to get buckets has been a storyline all year, and they\u2019re still stuck in the bottom half of the NBA at 114.1 ppg. The lack of ball movement is at the root of the problem, with only four teams averaging fewer assists per game.<\/p>\n Equally, these squads have been a mess from beyond the arc this season. New Orleans ranks 26th in 3-pointers made and 25th in 3-pointers attempted; Houston ranks 27th and 29th, respectively, in those categories. That\u2019s not the type of marksmanship to spark an Over.<\/p>\n When these teams squared off earlier this month in Houston, we got a 107-105 rock fight that put a spotlight on their offensive limitations. Tonight feels like a recipe for more of the same. <\/p>\n Enjoying Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account I like pairing the Under with a rebounding Over, and Amen Thompson is averaging 8.9 rpg in March. He\u2019s gone past this O\/U mark in six of his last eight outings, and he hauled in 12 boards against the Pelicans earlier this month.<\/p>\n The Rockets are 6-1 SU in the past seven meetings between these teams, and they have a defensive edge over a New Orleans squad that\u2019s scored fewer than 110 points in four of its past five games.<\/p>\n Rockets vs Pelicans SGP<\/p>\n Under 225.5\u00a0 Our “from downtown” SGP: Reed all about it!<\/p>\n
\n \u2022 Betting Analyst<\/p>\n
\nMar 29, 2026 , 11:21 AM ET<\/p>\n
\nRockets vs Pelicans best bet: Under 225.5 (-110)<\/p>\n![\"Add](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1774801824_885_google-preferred-source-badge.png\"){kind=icon}
<\/a>Rockets vs Pelicans same-game parlay<\/p>\n
\nAmen Thompson Over 7.5 rebounds
\nRockets moneyline<\/p>\n