Houston Rockets vs New Orleans Pelicans Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 31/01/2024, 06:03  by Joseph King | Modified on 31/01/2024 at 07:22 in NBA Predictions

Wednesday’s NBA slate sees a Western Conference clash as the 11th-place Houston Rockets host the eighth-placed New Orleans Pelicans. The Rockets will be looking to keep the positive momentum going after they picked up a big 135-119 victory over the LA Lakers on Monday. Jalen Green exploded for 34 points and 12 rebounds while star center Alperen Sengun continued his All-Star level play with 31 points, 12 boards and seven assists. The win means that the Rockets have now won two of the last three as they’ve improved their record to 22-24. Houston still finds itself on the outside looking in regarding the playoff picture as they would need to overtake the 10th-place Jazz to qualify for the play-in tournament. The Rockets trail Utah by just a half game in the standings. Ime Udoka’s Houston squad has done most of its damage when playing at the Toyota Center. They’ve posted a stellar 17-8 home record compared to their anemic 5-16 road mark.

The New Orleans Pelicans come into this matchup looking to snap out of a three game losing slide after their 118-112 defeat to the Celtics. The loss drops the Pels to eighth in the standings with a 26-21 record. It has admittedly been an extremely tough run of games for New Orleans as they have faced the Thunder, Bucks and Celtics in their last three outings. They’ll now have to face off against a Rockets team that is a tough nut to crack on their home court. New Orleans have been able to keep their heads just above water when they take to the road with their 12-11 record. Head coach Willie Green will likely be disappointed with how his team has performed against the NBA’s elite in their recent games as the Pelicans have averaged just 104 points per game over their last three.