Rockets @ Pelicans

Who will WIN this matchup?

Houston Rockets (19-15)

@ New Orleans Pelicans (16-20)

Current odds:

Houston Rockets: (-155)

New Orleans Pelicans: (+135)

• The line for this game is Houston by 3 points.

• The scorching Houston Rockets seek their fourth straight win and ninth in 10 contests when they visit the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday. Reigning MVP James Harden has ignited the surge with eight straight 30-point outings, including four efforts of more than 40. The superstar is averaging 40.5 points during the eight-game stretch after pouring in 45 points in Thursday’s 127-113 win over the visiting Boston Celtics and proclaimed afterward that he should again be part of the MVP chatter.

• The Pelicans received a big outing from their star on Friday when Anthony Davis scored a season-best 48 points and collected 17 rebounds in a 114-112 home win over the Dallas Mavericks to halt a five-game slide. “We know we are a better team than our record shows but we have to prove it,” Davis said in a postgame television interview. “We showed we can go there and compete.”

• Harden matched his career best of nine 3-pointers in the win over Boston and has made 33 over the past five games, while his streak of 30-point games is the best in the NBA since Russell Westbrook also recorded eight in a row in November of 2016. “He has a mastery of the game and a control and an ease of which he plays,” Houston coach Mike D’Antoni told reporters of Harden. “It’s fun to watch.” Rockets center Clint Capela is also on a roll with averages of 20.3 points and 21.3 rebounds over the past three games as well as posting eight straight double-digit outings on the boards.

• Davis converted the decisive three-point play with 43.9 seconds left and he is hoping the momentum of Friday’s victory will carry into the contest against the Rockets. “Know what winning feels like again,” Davis told reporters of ending the skid. “We have to keep the same feeling, keep the same energy and make sure we can go against a good team playing well and a great player like James who is playing extremely well.” Davis has grabbed at least 17 rebounds in each of the past four games and fellow big man Julius Randle also played well against Dallas with 22 points and 12 rebounds.

• Davis had 32 points and 16 rebounds as the Pelicans rolled to a 131-112 home win over the Rockets on Oct. 17.

• New Orleans G Jrue Holiday has scored 18 or more points in each of the past seven games.

• Houston SG Eric Gordon scored 20 points against Boston for his sixth straight double-digit performance.