Two teams sitting on opposite ends of the NBA conferences will be ready for action as the Charlotte Hornets square off with the Houston Rockets on Wednesday's slate of NBA games. Join us for our NBA odds series where our Hornets-Rockets prediction and pick will be revealed.
The Hornets (11-34) enter this game as visitors with a five-game losing streak, looking to find a victory in their win column. Their five losses were against the Indiana Pacers and twice each from the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics. Steve Clifford's team is at the dead bottom of the Eastern Conference, trailing the Conference leaders Boston Celtics by 22 games.
The Rockets (10-34) have an even much more miserable standing, losing 11 straight and hoping to find their win at the Toyota Center. They have yet to win a game this 2023, so a victory in front of their fans might be the boost that Stephen Silas's squad needs. Houston trails the Western Conference giants Denver Nuggets by 20.5 games.
Here are the Hornets-Rockets NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Hornets-Rockets Odds
Charlotte Hornets: -2.5 (-112)
Houston Rockets: +2.5 (-108)
Over: 236 (-110)
Under: 236 (-110)
How To Watch Hornets vs. Rockets
TV: AT&T SportsNet Southwest, Bally Sports Southeast – Charlotte
Stream: NBA League Pass
Time: 8 PM ET/ 5 PM PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Hornets Could Cover The Spread
High hopes are expected of the Charlotte Hornets to pull off the victory in front of the Houston Crowd. The Hornets need to address their struggles in the free throw line, lessen the frequency of turning the ball over, and make effective shot selections, which are key for Charlotte to bring their A-game to nearly every facet of the game if they want to come out on top.
All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball should be the major player for the Hornets, who are making 24 points, 5.4 rebounds, 8.4 assists, and 1.1 steals every night. Terry Rozier, PJ Washington, Mason Plumlee, and Jalen McDaniels are also serviceable starters capable of making double-digit points per game. Dennis Smith Jr., Theo Maledon, Mark Williams, and Nick Richards are also capable of lighting it up in the field, which makes them a far better bench than the Rockets.
Gordon Hayward, Cody Martin, and Kelly Oubre Jr. are expected to be not available to play for the Charlotte Hornets. With that being said, the Hornets should look into exploiting the Rockets through their own style of play. Although they share similar numbers with Houston in terms of rebounding, the Hornets should be able to pull off a win if they increase their 25.3 assists and 7.7 steals committed on this night.
Why The Rockets Could Cover The Spread
A plus for the home team might just be favorable for the Rockets. Although they own the worst record in the league, they are still capable of making close games. They rank dead bottom in offensive rating, turnovers, and field-goal percentage, second-worst in three-point shooting and net rating, and 28th in defensive rating.
The Houston Rockets can still find glimmers as they rank fourth in rebounding, with 46.4 rebounds per game, and 11th in steals with 7.4 snatches made per night.
The big key to the Rockets here is the performance of young center Alperen Sengun. Sengun is capable of producing 14.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and one block every night, which was shown in their recent outing against the Los Angeles Lakers. Al-P made33 15 points, 15 rebounds, and six assists that night followed by double-digit performances from Jalen Green, Eric Gordon, KJ Martin, and Jabari Smith Jr. Bench players Tari Eason, Jae'Sean Tate, Garrison Mathews, and Usman Garuba also combined for 26 points off the bench.
With Kevin Porter Jr. expected to make a return on Wednesday night, the Rockets are capable of shooting lights out at home. Porter, Green, Gordon, Mathews, and Martin should be able to sink three-pointers at home while Garuba, Sengun, and Tate should be able to grab up boards for the Rockets.
Final Hornets-Rockets Prediction & Pick
Despite the absences of Hayward, Oubre, and Martin, the Hornets look like the better team among these two tanking squads. KPJ's availability is still up in the air, but it remains true that the Rockets still play better with him on the court. These two teams rank at the bottom of the league in terms of defensive metrics, so expect that this will be a high-scoring affair. Ball, Rozier, and Dennis Smith Jr. greatly outmatch Green and Mathews in terms of offensive production. For this game, you should back the Charlotte Hornets, with LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier as the expected top two scorers for this game.
Final Hornets-Rockets Prediction & Pick: Charlotte Hornets: -2.5 (-112)
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