NBA : New-Look Pelicans Host Rockets on Thursday

The New Orleans Pelicans just hosted the All-Star Game and saw their very own Anthony Davis win the MVP. But the celebration was brief because the next day, the Pelicans made a huge trade, acquiring DeMarcus Cousins from the Sacramento Kings. Cousins is expected to play his first game on Thursday when the Pelicans host the Houston Rockets.

The Rockets are sitting fourth in the Western Conference, with James Harden among the front-runners for the MVP award. Harden is third in the league in scoring, first in assists and is averaging over eight rebounds a game. The Rockets rank behind only Golden State in scoring.

The Pelicans are 11th place in the West and only two games out of eighth. The trade for Cousins will hopefully push them into the postseason. Cousins and Davis are fourth and fifth in the league, respectively, in scoring, while Davis is sixth in rebounding and Cousins is 11th. They both played at the University of Kentucky, and the Pelicans are hoping that connection pays off.

Houston is 6-1 SU and 5-2 ATS in their last seven meetings with the Pelicans, who lost 122-100 to the Rockets at home on December 16. Harden had a triple-double with 29 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds.

NBA Odds: Cousins Makes Pelicans Debut Against Rockets

DeMarcus Cousins was traded from Sacramento to the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday after the All-Star Game. He’ll make his debut on Thursday when the Pelicans host the Houston Rockets.


Cousins teams up with Anthony Davis, who won the All-Star Game MVP with a record 52 points. The two played at Kentucky (not at the same time) and are familiar with each other, so it’ll be interesting to see how they fit. They’ll get a tough test from the Rockets, who have MVP favorite
James Harden. In a December game against the Pelicans, Harden put up a triple-double, leading the Rockets to a 122-100 victory.