Pelicans vs Rockets

Kevin Durant and the Rockets enter this one on a one-game winning streak after edging Minnesota and sitting 24-15 in the Southwest, while the Pelicans come in at 10-34 on a fresh loss to Indiana that halted a brief upswing.([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/hou/houston-rockets)) New Orleans is missing key rotation pieces Herbert Jones, Jose Alvarado and still hasn’t gotten Dejounte Murray on the floor, whereas Houston is without Fred VanVleet for the season and has Tari Eason banged up, but still has its primary scoring core intact.([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/team/injuries/_/name/no/new-orleans-pelicans)) In their December meeting the Pelicans needed a 25-point comeback, Saddiq Bey’s 29 and overtime to overcome Durant’s 32 in a 133-128 thriller, which still showcased how Houston controlled most of the game and dominated the glass when locked in.([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/game/_/gameId/401810230/rockets-pelicans)) With both teams exactly 41 games in and Houston firmly in the home-court mix while New Orleans is buried at the bottom of the West, motivation and talent strongly lean to the home side, even if variance always gives a heavy road dog a puncher’s chance.([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/no/new-orleans-pelicans)) I’m backing Houston Rockets moneyline at -800 and grading it a B: very high likelihood of cashing behind superior star power and depth, but the steep price severely limits the monetary upside. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 18/01/2026 09:41

New Orleans’ offense has kept producing even as they ride a one-game losing streak and Houston comes in on a one-game winning streak, with the Pelicans averaging 115.0 points per game and the Rockets at 117.1 heading into this rematch.([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/no/new-orleans-pelicans)) With premier defenders Herbert Jones and Jose Alvarado sidelined for New Orleans and Fred VanVleet out plus Tari Eason hobbled for Houston, both teams lose important perimeter stoppers and screen navigators, tilting this matchup toward cleaner looks for creators rather than a grind-it-out half-court battle.([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/team/injuries/_/name/no/new-orleans-pelicans)) In December’s 133-128 OT Pelicans win, Durant poured in 32 while Alperen Sengun orchestrated and attacked inside, and New Orleans’ wings—especially Saddiq Bey—repeatedly punished Houston’s defense, a template that easily clears the current 230.5 total if pace and shot-making approach the same levels.([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/game/_/gameId/401810230/rockets-pelicans)) At the midway point of the season, Houston is incentivized to keep its free-flowing, high-usage offense humming for seeding, and a lottery-bound Pelicans team has every reason to lean into development and offensive reps for Zion, Murphy and the young guards rather than slow things down.([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/no/new-orleans-pelicans)) I like Over 230.5 at -110 with a B- grade: the number is aggressive and overtime helped the prior meeting soar, but the offensive talent, weakened defenses and playoff-context incentives still offer enough edge to justify the standard-juice investment. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 18/01/2026 09:41

Saddiq Bey and the Pelicans, despite coming in on a one-game skid, have recently shown they can hang with better teams and even erased a 25-point deficit to beat these Rockets by five in overtime, while Houston’s current one-game winning streak doesn’t entirely erase some uneven stretches against lesser opponents.([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/no/new-orleans-pelicans)) New Orleans is short several key rotation pieces—Herbert Jones’ multi-positional defense, Jose Alvarado’s energy and Dejounte Murray’s as-yet-unseen shot creation—yet still has Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III and Jordan Poole to generate enough scoring spurts to threaten a backdoor cover, particularly against a Houston wing corps missing VanVleet and potentially Eason.([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/team/injuries/_/name/no/new-orleans-pelicans)) In that first matchup, Houston led most of the way behind Durant’s 32 and a huge rebounding edge, but New Orleans’ depth pieces—Bey, Derik Queen, Jose Alvarado—turned up late to steal it 133-128, reinforcing that a double-digit spread leaves plenty of room for volatility even if the Rockets control the game.([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/game/_/gameId/401810230/rockets-pelicans)) With Houston focused on the bigger playoff picture at 24-15 and less incentivized to push starters deep in a potential blowout, and the 10-34 Pelicans needing to keep their young core engaged, extended garbage-time minutes could favor the road dog staying inside +13.5.([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/no/new-orleans-pelicans)) I’ll take New Orleans Pelicans +13.5 at -118 with a C+ grade: the cushion is substantial and offers decent return if their offense shows up, but Houston’s superior talent and interior dominance still give real blowout risk that caps the confidence level. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 18/01/2026 09:41