The Houston Rockets (40-25) will host the New Orleans Pelicans (22-45) in the NBA on Friday night. Tipoff from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas is set for 8:00 p.m. ET. The game will broadcast live on SCHN and NBA League Pass.
The Rockets are 5.5-point favorites over the Pelicans on the spread (Rockets -5.5), with the over/under set at 230.5 total points. Houston is a -230 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while New Orleans is +180 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Pelicans vs. Rockets predictions and NBA picks for Friday, March 13.
Pelicans vs Rockets Prediction
- Pelicans vs Rockets pick: Reed Sheppard Over 15.5 Points (-115)
My Rockets vs. Pelicans best bet is on Reed Sheppard to score over 15.5 points tonight. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
New Orleans Pelicans vs Houston Rockets Odds
| Pelicans Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5.5 -107 | 230.5 -109o / -112u | +180 |
| Rockets Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5.5 -114 | 230.5 -109o / -112u | -230 |
Pelicans vs Rockets NBA Friday Preview
I see this as a buy-low opportunity for Reed Sheppard, who has been shooting poorly for two straight games — actually four, if you want to use the field goal percentage alone.
I'm backing him over 15.5 points in the Rockets' matchup against the Pelicans tonight.
Sheppard shot 4-for-12 against Denver in his latest outing, and he had plenty of open looks that he missed out on against the Raptors in the game before that, going 2-for-10 from the field, to stay well under this line in both of those contests.
Otherwise, we are looking at several 17-point performances as of late. One of them was on the road against the Spurs in what became a famous blowout loss.
Prior to his latest two outings, Sheppard scored 17+ points in four consecutive games, and he had gone over 15.5 in six out of his last eight.
Pelicans vs Rockets Picks, Betting Predictions
I like Sheppard here against the Pelicans.
There is upside for him in a matchup against a team that's playing at a top-five pace over the last 10 games and isn't fully tanking, so Sheppard should get a normal allotment of minutes.
I also think he should be able to find good looks against a weak Pelicans defense.
Pelicans vs Rockets Best Bet
- Reed Sheppard Over 15.5 Points (-115)
Pelicans vs Rockets Betting Trends
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