Alex Hunter breaks down his preview, prediction and pick for Sunday\u2019s NBA matchup between the Pelicans and the Rockets.<\/p>\n
The Pelicans are hosting the Rockets on Sunday. On DraftKings Sportsbook<\/a>, Houston is favored by 5.5 points and this game carries a total of 225.5 points.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s dive into my preview and pick for this matchup. <\/p>\n Pelicans vs. Rockets preview<\/p>\n This will be the fourth and final matchup of the season between these Southwest division clubs. The Pelicans took the first matchup in an overtime thriller, but the Rockets took the next two. All of these matchups have been decided by single digits, most recently with Houston winning 107-105 on March 13th. <\/p>\n After a hot start to the season, the Rockets have been inconsistent, with an 11-8 record and ranking 15th in net rating since the All-Star break. The club is coming off a 119-109 win over the Grizzlies, but before this, Houston lost to the Timberwolves 110-108 in overtime and the Rockets allowed Minnesota to close that game on a 15-0 run in the extra period. <\/p>\n That is just one of the many times Houston has looked disconnected recently. Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun are both still putting up big numbers, but the team hasn\u2019t been moving the ball well, ranking 27th in assist rate since the All-Star break. The Rockets rank just 16th in offensive rating over this time, but they have remained above average on defense, ranking 10th in defensive rating.<\/p>\n The Rockets have fallen to the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference, but them moving up before the regular season ends in two weeks is very possible, so getting a win tonight is important. Currently, Houston is just two games back of the No. 4 seeded Nuggets.<\/p>\n The Pelicans sit 12th in the Western Conference and were officially eliminated from playoff contention last week. New Orleans has lost four games in a row, but the club has been decent since the All-Star break, with a 10-9 record and ranking 16th in net rating, which is just one spot back of the Rockets.<\/p>\n While most lottery bound teams are trying to lose with the season winding down, the Pelicans have been trying to win games, as they don\u2019t own their first-round pick in this upcoming draft. That pick was sent to the Hawks in the deal to acquire Dejounte Murray in the summer of 2024. Since returning from a torn Achilles last month, the guard has been great, averaging 17.2 points, 6.5 assists and 5.3 rebounds in 27.8 minutes per game. Murray leads New Orleans in plus\/minus, but he is questionable tonight with a hand injury, which would be his second missed game in a row. <\/p>\n Trey Murphy III, who is leading the team with 21.7 PPG, is also questionable with an ankle injury and in danger of missing his third straight. With both Murray and Murphy out Friday, the Pelicans fell to the Raptors 119-106. While New Orleans isn\u2019t technically tanking right now, there is no real reason in forcing either of Murray or Murphy to play tonight. It\u2019s safe to expect at least one of these starters to sit, and Zion Williamson and Saddiq Bey should operate as the team\u2019s top scorers.<\/p>\n Pelicans vs. Rockets pick, best Bet<\/p>\n With Murray and Murphy dealing with injuries, the Rockets, who have much more at stake, should get a win tonight. However, it\u2019s hard to have faith in Houston covering this 5.5-point spread<\/a> and I like backing the Pelicans to cover. <\/p>\n New Orleans is a league-best 24-13-1 ATS at home and the club is 3-0 ATS vs. the Rockets this season. On the other side, Houston is 17-21 ATS on the road and 24-39 ATS as a favorite. <\/p>\n