Houston Rockets vs New Orleans Pelicans Prediction 12/18/2025 Today’s NBA Picks

The Houston Rockets pay a visit to the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on Thursday night. Here’s a Houston Rockets vs New Orleans Pelicans Prediction. This article will include a Houston Rockets vs New Orleans Pelicans Pick.

Houston Rockets Betting Preview 

The Houston Rockets have cooled off a little lately as they’ve split their last six games and they will be hoping to bounce back after coming up just short to the Nuggets in a 128-125 overtime road defeat on Monday. Alperen Sengun led the team with a triple-double of 33 points with 10 rebounds and 10 assists, Kevin Durant added 25 points with seven assists while Jabari Smith Jr and Josh Okogie each scored 16 points.

As a team, the Rockets shot 51 percent from the field and 12 of 25 from the 3-point line as they battled the Nuggets to take the lead with just 2.3 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Only to be dealt a tough foul call to send the game into overtime where the Nuggets scored the first seven points to run away from them in the end. 

New Orleans Pelicans Betting Preview 

Meanwhile, the New Orleans Pelicans look like they might be moving on from their seven-game losing streak as they are now aiming for a third straight win after taking down the Bulls in a 114-104 road win on Sunday. Trey Murphy III led the team with 20 points and 10 rebounds on eight of 14 shooting, Jeremiah Fears added 20 points on seven of 13 shooting while Jordan Poole provided the spark off the bench with 16 points and four assists.

As a team, the Pelicans shot 46 percent from the field and eight of 33 from the 3-point line as they squandered a 10-point lead and trailed early in the fourth quarter. Before they caught fire and went on a pivotal 28-10 run to take a 15-point lead. 

Why the New Orleans Pelicans will win

• The Rockets have lost each of their last three games as road favorites against Western Conference opponents.
• The Pelicans have covered the spread in each of their last six games as underdogs against Western Conference opponents.
• The Rockets have failed to cover the spread in 10 of their last 11 games as favorites following an overtime loss.

Why the Houston Rockets will win

• The Pelicans have lost each of their last 15 night games against Western Conference opponents that held a winning record.
• The Rockets have won each of their last six road games after coming off overtime.
• The Rockets have covered the spread in each of their last six games as road favorites after losing as favorites.
• The Pelicans have failed to cover the spread in each of their last six night games against Rockets teams that held a winning record.

Total Points Facts

• Each of the Pelicans’ last six home games have gone OVER the total points line.
• Five of the Rockets’ last six games against Southwest Division opponents have gone OVER the total points line.

New Orleans Pelicans Player Facts

• Jordan Poole is one of only seven players to have scored 30+ points off the bench in a game this season.
• Derik Queen ranks 6th amongst qualified Centers for assists per game (4.0) this season.

Houston Rockets Player Facts

• Amen Thompson ranks 8th amongst qualified players for points in the paint per game (11.8) this season.
• Josh Okogie ranks 9th amongst qualified players for steals per 36 minutes (2.4) this season.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Pelicans rank 30th in the league for opponent three-point field goal attempts per game this season (42.1).
• The Pelicans rank 30th in the league for Q3 opponent points per game this season (31.7).
• The Rockets rank 1st in the league for offensive rebounds per game this season (16.2).
• The Rockets rank 1st in the league for opponent free throw percentage this season (75.2%).

Houston Rockets vs New Orleans Pelicans Prediction

The Rockets are still missing Fred VanVleet and Dorian Finney-Smith with Tari Eason listed as questionable, while the Pelicans are still playing without the injured Dejounte Murray. The Rockets have cooled off a bit recently, but they were more than competitive in a close loss to the red-hot Nuggets in their last outing.

Meanwhile, the Pelicans look to have turned the corner with a couple wins in a row, but those came against struggling teams in the Trail Blazers and the Bulls. The Rockets are still clear favorites in this matchup, and I think they bounce back with a comfortable win and cover on the road in this spot.

Peter Tran's Pick: Houston -9.5