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The Hornets visit the Rockets to open the NBA Season! The Rockets are an emerging team, while the Hornets have many question marks this season. Let's continue our NBA odds series with a Hornets-Rockets prediction and pick.
The Hornets were one of the worst teams in the NBA last season, only winning 21 games to 61 losses. They have talent on the team, with LaMelo Ball at point guard and Brandon Miller on the wing. However, they do not have much depth outside of that, so Charlotte could struggle again this season.
The Rockets surprised a little bit last year, and they have gotten aggressive in improving their roster. They have a trio of standout scorers, including Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, and Fred VanVleet. The Rockets are a dangerous team this season and have a great shot of making some noise in the Western Conference.
Here are the Hornets-Rockets NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Hornets-Rockets Odds
Charlotte Hornets: +7.5 (-112)
Moneyline: +240
Houston Rockets: -7.5 (-108)
Moneyline: -295
Over: 229 (-110)
Under: 229 (-110)
How To Watch Hornets vs Rockets
Time: 8:00 pm ET/5:00 pm PT
TV: Space City Home Network
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Hornets Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Hornets struggled all season last year on offense. They were 28th in scoring at 106.6 points per game, 26th in field goal percentage at 46%, and 21st in three-point percentage at 35.5%. Ten different Hornets averaged over double digits, with LaMelo Ball leading the way at 23.9 points per game, even with his injury. Ball also led the way in assists at eight per game. Ball will be a massive key for the team, especially now that he's healthy after only playing in 22 games last year.
The Hornets' defense was solid at best last year. They were 16th in scoring defense at 116.8 points per game, 27th in field goal defense at 49.4%, and 26th in three-point defense at 37.7%. Six Hornets averaged at least five rebounds, with Mark Williams leading at 9.7 per game. Five players averaged at least one steal, with LaMelo Ball leading at 1.8 per game. Then, two players had at least one block per game, with Nick Richards and Mark Williams tied at 1.1 per game.
Why the Rockets Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Rockets' offense was average at best last season. They scored 114.3 points per game and shot 45.9% from the field and 35.2% from behind the arc. Six Rockets averaged over double digits in scoring, with Alperen Sengun leading the way at 21.1 points per game. Fred VanVleet then led the way in assists at 8.1 per game. The offense will come down to Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, and Fred VanVleet as the main trio that can consistently get buckets. Everyone else has been inconsistent.
The defense for the Rockets was solid last season. They allowed 113.2 points per game, then allowed a field goal percentage of 46.3%, and they had the best three-point defense in the NBA, allowing 34.8% from behind the arc. Alperen Sengun leads in rebounds at 9.3 per game. Four Rockets averaged at least one steal per game, with Tari Eason and VanVleet tied for the lead at 1.4. Eason then led in blocks per game at 0.9 per game. Their defense was huge last season, and they will need to be huge again for this team to take that extra step.
Final Hornets-Rockets Prediction & Pick
The Hornets have many question marks this season, while the Rockets have more to like. The Rockets are the better team and should be competing for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Rockets will win this game to open the season 1-0, and they should also cover this spread and beat the Hornets easily.
Final Hornets-Rockets Prediction & Pick: Houston Rockets -7.5 (-108)
