Houston Rockets vs New Orleans Pelicans Prediction, 3/29/2026 Preview and Pick

Game: Houston Rockets vs New Orleans Pelicans

Date: Sunday, March 29, 2026

Location: Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA

TV: Gulf Coast Sports

The New Orleans Pelicans (25-49) are hosting the Houston Rockets (43-29) at Smoothie King Center on Sunday.

The Rockets took the court against the Timberwolves and took a loss by a final of 110-108 in their last game. Houston walked away from the game having earned a 40.9% FG percentage (38 of 93) and converted 9 out of their 29 3-point attempts. From the free throw line, the Rockets made 23 of their 25 shots for a rate of 92.0%. Concerning getting rebounds, they earned 54 with 15 of them being offensive. They also dished out 30 dimes for the game as well as forcing 17 turnovers and having 11 steals. In relation to the defense, Houston allowed their opponent to shoot 41.7% from the floor on 45 of 108 shooting. Minnesota distributed 22 dimes and had 12 steals in this contest. In addition, Minnesota had 34 boards (13 offensive, 21 defensive) and added 11 blocks. Minnesota finished 70.0% from the charity stripe by knocking down 7 of their 10 shots. They also buried 13 of 37 attempts from 3-point range. Concerning fouls, the Rockets ended up finishing with 13 while the Timberwolves finished the game with 25 fouls.

Kevin Durant is one guy who was a factor in the game. He accounted for 30 points on 9 of 22 shooting. He played 43 mins played and also snagged 3 rebounds. Durant finished shooting 40.9% from the field and also totaled 8 assists.

Get all of our NBA Betting Picks

Houston comes into this contest with a mark of 43-29 for the season. They average 114.1 pts per game (21st in basketball) while hitting 47.6% from the floor. The Rockets are connecting on 36.2% on 3-point shots (806 of 2,227) and 76.0% from the free throw line. As a team, Houston is snagging 48.0 rebounds per game and has tallied 1,796 assists for the season, which ranks 28th in the league in terms of passing the ball. They turn the ball over 15.8 times per game and as a unit they commit 18.5 fouls on a nightly basis.

When they are on the defensive end, the Rockets are able to force 13.5 turnovers per contest while drawing 20.0 personal fouls. They are 3rd in basketball in allowing assists to the opposition with 1,779 surrendered this year. The Rockets defensively are giving up a shooting percentage of 46.0% (2,920 of 6,342) and they surrender 39.7 rebounds per contest as a unit. They surrender 35.4% on 3-pointers and they are 4th in the league in opponents points per game (110.2).

The last time they took the court, the Pelicans took a defeat with a final score of 129-108 when they faced the Pistons. The Pelicans pulled down 26 defensive boards and 9 offensive rebounds for a total of 35 for this game. They also gave up possession 11 times, while getting 7 steals for this contest. The Pistons earned 14 personal fouls for the matchup which took the Pelicans to the free throw line for 24 attempts. They were able to bury 11 of the free throw tries for a rate of 45.8%. In relation to three-point attempts, New Orleans knocked down 9 out of their 25 attempts (36.0%). Overall, the Pelicans shot 44 out of 95 from the floor which gave them a rate of 46.3%. The Pelicans allowed the Pistons to bury 48 of their 85 tries from the field which left them with a rate of 56.5% in this matchup. They finished shooting 53.6% from beyond the arc by hitting 15 of 28 and ended up going 18 out of 23 from the free throw line (78.3%). Concerning attacking the glass, New Orleans allowed Detroit to collect 36 in all (7 offensive).

Zion Williamson pitched in for the Pelicans for the matchup. He made 8 out of 13 for the contest for a rate of 61.5%, and had 6 rebounds. Williamson earned 21 points in his 31 mins on the court and had 2 dimes in the matchup.

New Orleans has a win-loss mark of 25-49 on the campaign. On the offensive side of the court, the Pelicans are shooting 46.6% from the field, which is 16th in the NBA. New Orleans has earned 8,538 points for the campaign (115.4 per contest) and they snag 43.9 boards per contest. Their rate of assisting teammates is at 25.4 times per game (21st in the league) and they turn it over 14.2 times per game. The Pelicans commit 19.8 personal fouls every game while shooting 78.3% from the free throw line.

The New Orleans defense gives up 34.9% from downtown (1,050 of 3,006) and opponents are connecting on 77.5% of their shots from the charity stripe. They allow 27.7 assists and 45.5 rebounds per game, which has them ranked 23rd and 25th in the league. The Pelicans on defense are ranked 25th in basketball in points per game surrendered with 119.3. They are forcing 14.6 TO's per game and allow teams to shoot 47.6% from the floor (19th in basketball).

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Houston

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

Get NBA picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.