The New Orleans Pelicans (5-25) host the Houston Rockets (20-9) after losing four straight home games. The Rockets are favored by 8.5 points in the matchup, which starts at 8:00 PM ET on Thursday, December 26, 2024.

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Rockets vs. Pelicans Game Info & Odds

• Date: Thursday, December 26, 2024
• Time: 8:00 PM ET
• How to watch on TV: SCHN and Gulf Coast Sports
• Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo (Regional restrictions may apply)
• Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
• Venue: Smoothie King Center

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Rockets vs. Pelicans Score Prediction

• Prediction:
  Rockets 117 – Pelicans 104

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Spread & Total Prediction for Rockets vs. Pelicans

• Pick ATS: Rockets (- 8.5)
• Computer Predicted Spread: Rockets (-12.2)
• Pick OU:

  Under (222.5)
  

• Computer Predicted Total: 221.1

• The Rockets’ .621 ATS win percentage (18-11-0 ATS Record) is higher than the Pelicans’ .367 mark (11-19-0 ATS Record) in 2024-25.
• Houston covers the spread when it is an 8.5-point favorite or more 50% of the time. That’s more often than New Orleans covers as an underdog of 8.5 or more (27.3%).
• Houston’s games have gone over the total 48.3% of the time this season (14 out of 29), less often than New Orleans’ games have (15 out of 30).
• The Rockets have a .762 winning percentage as a moneyline favorite (16-5) this season while the Pelicans have a .130 winning percentage as a moneyline underdog (3-20).

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Rockets Performance Insights

• The Rockets are averaging 112.9 points per game this year (13th-ranked in NBA), but they’ve really played well on defense, surrendering just 106.3 points per contest (third-best).
• Houston is allowing 43.6 rebounds per game this year (10th-ranked in NBA), but it has provided a lift by grabbing 49.6 rebounds per game (best).
• The Rockets haven’t posted many dimes this season, ranking second-worst in the NBA with 22.6 assists per contest.
• Houston is sixth in the NBA with 12.9 turnovers per game so far this year. Meanwhile, it ranks 14th with 14.2 forced turnovers per game.
• The Rockets rank 24th in the NBA by draining 11.8 three-pointers per contest, but they sport a 32.4% shooting percentage from beyond the arc, which ranks second-worst in the league.

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Pelicans Performance Insights

• Offensively, the Pelicans are the worst team in the NBA (105.7 points per game). On defense, they are 25th (117.2 points conceded per game).
• New Orleans is 22nd in the NBA in rebounds per game (43.1) and fifth-worst in rebounds conceded (45.7).
• This season the Pelicans are ranked 25th in the NBA in assists at 24 per game.
• At 14.5 turnovers committed per game and 14 turnovers forced, New Orleans is 17th and 16th in the league, respectively.
• Beyond the arc, the Pelicans are worst in the NBA in 3-pointers made per game (11.1). They are ranked 25th in 3-point percentage at 33.2%.

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