New Orleans Pelicans vs Houston Rockets Prediction, 4/4/2021 NBA Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: New Orleans Pelicans vs Houston Rockets

Date: Sunday, April 4, 2021

Location: Toyota Center in Houston, TX

TV: Bally Sports New Orleans

Odds/Point Spread: New Orleans (-3.5)

Toyota Center is the venue where and the Houston Rockets (13-35) will take on the New Orleans Pelicans (21-27) on Sunday. New Orleans opens this matchup as 3.5-point favorites. The over/under has been set at 227.

The New Orleans Pelicans took the court against the Atlanta Hawks and went home with a loss by a final score of 126-103 in their last contest. New Orleans wrapped up the contest with a 43.2% field goal percentage (38 out of 88) and converted 8 out of their 29 3-pointers. At the free throw line, the Pelicans made 19 of their 23 tries for a percentage of 82.6%. Pertaining to pulling down boards, they collected a total of 34 with 5 of them being on the offensive end. They also distributed 22 dimes for the contest as well as forcing 15 turnovers and getting 7 steals. In reference to defense, New Orleans allowed the other team to shoot 56.3% from the floor on 49 of 87 shooting. Atlanta distributed 25 dimes and had 10 steals in this contest. Moreover, Atlanta grabbed 42 rebounds (6 offensive, 36 defensive) and added 6 blocks. Atlanta ended up shooting 71.4% when shooting free throws by making 15 of their 21 shots. They also made 13 of 29 attempts from long range.

James Johnson is a guy who came through in this matchup. He accumulated 16 points on 6 of 9 shooting. He was on the court for 28:45 mins played and also collected 4 rebounds. Johnson ended up shooting 66.7% from the floor and also recorded 6 assists. An additional guy that was a determining factor in the game for the Pelicans was Eric Bledsoe. He collected 3 rebounds in 31:49 min played on the night. He walked away from this one shooting 35.7% from the floor for the contest by shooting 5-of-14 (14 points). When the final whistle was blown, Bledsoe had accumulated 5 assists.

New Orleans enters this matchup with a win-loss record of 21-27 for the year. The Pelicans are hitting 35.8% on three-point shots (538 of 1,502) and 73.7% from the charity stripe. They are averaging 115.0 pts per contest (5th in basketball) while shooting 48.5% from the field. They are giving up possession 14.3 times per contest and as a unit they commit 17.8 personal fouls per game. As a unit, New Orleans is snagging 46.2 rebounds per contest and has tallied 1,256 dimes for the campaign, which has them ranked 9th in the league in terms of passing the ball. Defensively, the Pelicans are able to force 12.8 turnovers per game while drawing 20.8 fouls. They are giving up 38.8% on shots from distance and they are 26th in the NBA in points per game from their opponents (114.9). The Pelicans defense is allowing a shooting percentage of 47.2% (616 of 1,000) and they relinquish 40.2 boards per contest as a squad. They rank 27th in basketball in giving up assists to their opponents with 1,259 conceded this year.

The last time they took the hardwood, the Houston Rockets took a loss by a score of 118-102 against the Boston Celtics. The Rockets were able to corral 30 defensive boards and 10 offensive rebounds for a total of 40 in the game. They turned the ball over 12 times, while getting 6 steals in the game. The Celtics earned 22 fouls in this game which got the Rockets to the free throw line for 26 tries. They were able to convert 16 of the free throws for a rate of 61.5%. Concerning shooting from downtown, Houston knocked down 12 of 36 tries (33.3%). When all was said and done, the Rockets ended up shooting 37 for 86 from the floor which gave them a rate of 43.0%. The Rockets permitted the Celtics to knock down 46 out of 88 tries from the floor which gave them a percentage of 52.3% in the matchup. They finished the game shooting 41.5% from downtown by shooting 17 of 41 and ended up going 9 out of 12 at the free throw line (75.0%). In relation to how they attacked the glass, Houston permitted Boston to get 50 in total (11 offensive).

Christian Wood ended up being a major contributor for the Rockets for the matchup. He converted 8 of 16 in this game giving him a field goal percentage of 50.0%, and accumulated 10 rebounds. Wood racked up 19 points in his 32:13 mins on the court and had 3 dimes for this contest. An additional guy that ended up playing a role for Houston was Kevin Porter. He walked away with 8 assists in 29:50 minutes played, and he knocked down 4 of 11 from the floor. Porter ended the game having shot 36.4% from the floor and also earning 12 points and 5 total rebounds.

Houston has a record of 13-35 on the year. Houston has accumulated 5,145 pts on the campaign (107.2 per game) and they grab 42.1 rebounds per game. The Rockets are committing 19.9 fouls per contest and they shoot 74.2% from the charity stripe. On the offensive side of the ball, the Rockets are connecting on 43.7% from the floor, which ranks 29th in the NBA. They are earning an assist 22.7 times per contest (25th in the league) and they are giving up possession 14.3 times per contest. The Rockets on the defensive side of the court are 22nd in the NBA in points given up per game with 113.7. The Houston defense gives up 37.1% on shots from 3-point land (611 of 1,645) and opponents are connecting on 78.2% of their free throw shots. They give up 24.6 dimes and 48.3 rebounds every game, which is ranked 15th and 30th in basketball. They are forcing 15.3 turnovers per game and have allowed teams to shoot 46.9% from the floor (21st in basketball).

Who will win tonight's NBA game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Houston (+3.5)

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here