Filip Tomic
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It’s a match-up between the tanking Houston Rockets and underachieving New Orleans Pelicans as they square up for the 1st time this season tonight at Smoothie King Center. You can watch the game live from 8.30 pm ET on NBA TV. I’ve prepared a Same-Game Parlay to make things a little more interesting.
Don’t forget to check our NBA Predictions page for picks on the side and total for tonight’s 8-game slate. Let’s get into this Rockets vs Pelicans matchup.
New Orleans Pelicans -10.5 (-110)
CJ McCollum to Score 25+ Points (+260)
Eric Gordon Over 1.5 Made Threes (-170)
Parlay odds: +813
New Orleans Pelicans -10.5 (-110)
The Rockets head into New Orleans with just 1 win in 9 games on the road, following a 116-109 loss at Toronto. This team is talented, but right now they are constructed in a way that they won’t win many games this season. Right now, this team is focusing on developing their young core, so don’t be surprised if the likes of Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green put up numbers here. The Pelicans have to bounce back here following their home loss to Portland. New Orleans has covered in 5 of 6 home games against the Rockets, and although tonight’s spread at 10.5 points sounds a lot, this is the perfect opportunity for them to get back on track. They’ve won the last 3 games vs Houston by 25, 13 and 13 points. Take the Pels to cover.
Houston Rockets vs New Orleans Pelicans full predictions are also available!
CJ McCollum to Score 25+ Points (+260)
Because of the slump he’s been over the past 3 games, you can get really solid value on CJ McCollum in tonight’s game. I’m expecting him to pick it up tonight and school the young players that try to stay in front of him. He has a really good track record against the Rockets scoring over 20 points against them in 9 of the last 10 games, while averaging 25.3 points per game during that stretch. His efficiency has also been really good at 47.5% from the field and an impressive 41% from downtown. Prior to the slump he’s in right now, he had 29 points against the Atlanta Hawks. Houston is the perfect opponent for him to have a big game, the Rockets are 29th in defensive rating this season and allow 117.8 points per game which is the 5th highest number in the league. I just can’t see how the inexperienced Rockets contain him in this one.
Eric Gordon Over 1.5 Made Threes (-170)
When things don’t go in the direction you’re hoping, then it’s time to turn to your veterans. Houston doesn’t have many of those this season, but Eric Gordon is one of them. As the leader for the young squad out there, Gordon is almost guaranteed at least 6 attempts per game from the three-point line and so far in the month of November he is connecting on exactly 2 per game. In 10 games played this season he’s scored a couple of threes in 6 games, while shooting 37%.
The Pelicans haven’t exactly been elite when it comes to defending the three-point line over their last 3 games allowing opponents to shoot 37.6% from downtown. Right now that would be the 7th worst number in the entire NBA. New Orleans is one of Gordon’s favorite opponents – he’s coming off back-to-back games against them in which he’s scored 23 points. In 25 career games he’s averaging 3 made threes against them per game on 38.5% shooting and he’s gotten to at least 2 threes in 9 of the last 10 meetings.
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