The Rockets have been up-and-down as of late, and a lot of their success and failure depends on Fred VanVleet. He’s out tonight, and the Pelicans' Zion Williamson is finally healthy, at home and getting points. I’ll take the home dog.

The Pels are paying even less attention to detail since Zion Williamson has ramped up the past month. For 'Nawlins, action seems to have devolved into getting Zion's hands on the ball, with defense something that happens between possessions. NO doesn't always work on the stop end, one reason the Lakers recorded their first over in weeks two nights ago when running away from the Pels, 136-115. If the purpose is for Zion (who scored 37 vs. the Lake Show) to pad his stats, mission accomplished, we suppose. The Rockets cruised in the earlier meeting back on December 19, hitting almost 58% from the floor and sprinting to a 133-113 win at Toyota Center, led by Jalen Green's 34 points. Play Rockets-Pelicans Over

Fred VanVleet (ankle) is the only player of note who is expected to miss this game for the Rockets, so they are in good shape on the health front. Even Jabari Smith Jr. is back after missing over a month with an injury. The Rockets are 18-14 ATS on the road, so they haven’t struggled away from Houston. They have played the Pelicans two times this season and won both games by at least 17 points. The Rockets are the vastly superior team here, so I’m a bit surprised that they aren’t favored more heavily.