Rockets vs. Hornets (-3½, 182) – 8:05 pm ET

Playoff Battle The Western Conference is once again the dominant conference in the NBA this season with seven of the current eight playoff teams with a win percentage of 61% or better, compared to the weaker Eastern Conference that has just three teams with a win percentage above 58%. Houston enters tonight’s game with the third-best record in the West as they stand 43-25 SU which is half-game ahead of the Hornets who stand fifth in the conference with a 41-24 SU mark with three extra games in hand. The Hornets can vault all the way up to the third spot with a win this evening; however both Houston and New Orleans must pass the San Antonio Spurs within the Southwest division to ensure a top three seed in next month’s playoffs. Previous Meetings This has been an evenly matched series with each squad going 3-3 SU/ATS in the six head-to-head meetings the past two seasons, including 1-1 SU/ATS so far this season with the home team winning both games. Overall, the home team is on a current 4-0 SU/ATS run and defense has dominated as the Under is now 5-1 the past two seasons. Houston won the first meeting this season on November 15th, 91-82, as a 2-point home favorite and the game stayed Under the posted total of 181. The big men played well for both teams as Houston’s Yao Ming led all scorers with 21 points, while David West and Tyson Chandler led the Hornets’ scorers with 18 and 16 points each. New Orleans got their revenge in the rematch on December 26th when they won 88-79 as a 2½-point home favorite. The game once again easily stayed Under the posted total of 184½. Yao Ming led the Rockets with 19 points, while David West scored 23 points for the Hornets. The star of the game was New Orleans’ point guard Chris Paul who had a game-high 26 points and 10 assists. Injuries The Rockets are without Tracy McGrady for the rest of the season, but they have continue to play well without their aging star in the lineup, going 12-4 SU in their past sixteen games since McGrady was put on the injured list for the rest of the season. McGrady was third on the team in scoring (15.6 ppg) and first in assists per game (5.0 apg). McGrady did play in both head-to-head meetings versus the Hornets earlier this season and he scored 18 points in the win and only 11 points in the loss. The Hornets have been without Peja Stojakovic for the past six games and he is doubtful again tonight due to a back injury. Stojakovic is third on the team in scoring (13.8 ppg) and is one of the best shooters on the team, averaging 38.2% from three-point range and a fantastic 91.0% from the free throw line. Over/Under The Under is 5-1 in the six head-to-head meetings the past two seasons and both teams enter off low-scoring games on Saturday. The Rockets lost to the Spurs 88-85, while the Hornets lost at Chicago 97-79. New Orleans is 6-3-1 Under in their past ten games, while the Rockets enter tonight on a 5-0 Under run and overall the Rockets are 10-4 Under in their past fourteen games.
 

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