Free NBA Pick: Hornets vs. Rockets NBA Odds
Looking for Charlotte Hornets vs. Houston Rockets free NBA picks & NBA odds? NBA betting sees the Hornets taking on the Rockets on Wednesday March 24th at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all NBA basketball matchups so stay tuned for more FREE daily NBA hoops predictions like this Hornets Rockets matchup.
2021 NBA Handicapping
(21-21) Charlotte Hornets vs. Houston Rockets (12-30)
Date: Wednesday, March 24th
Time: 8:00 PM EST
Venue: Toyota Center, Houston TX
NBA Moneyline Odds: Hornets -160| Rockets +140
NBA Betting Odds: Hornets -3.5
NBA Betting Total: 224
Don’t call it a win streak. The Houston Rockets finally ended their long nightmare of a 20-game losing streak with a 117-99 win over Toronto on Monday. Has Houston turned the corner, or are the Raptors just that bad lately too?
The Hornets are just .500 on the year (21-21) but that’s good enough for the current 6 seed in the East. Things will get a bit tougher for Charlotte moving forward though after LaMelo Ball went down with a wrist injury.
Charlotte Hornets
It’s been a rough past week for the Hornets, not just because they lost 129-104 in Denver last week and suffered two double digit losses at the Clippers, but because their talented rookie Ball may be lost for the year.
Ball was closing in on a rookie of the year candidacy, averaging 15.9/5.9/6.1. He had taken over the role of the top PG for the Hornets, and at 6’7″ presented a very tough matchup.
Ball’s loss will be a tough one, but Charlotte has a more than capable backup in Devonte Graham, who averaged 18.2 ppg. Graham had just 9 points in Monday’s 100-97 win over the Spurs, but it will take him a bit to get re-accustomed to the starting role.
What the Hornets do lose with the Ball injury is depth though. Houston has four guards on the injury report for Wednesday’s game though so this one will be decided by the starters on both teams who will play a lot of minutes.
Houston Rockets
The Rockets aren’t that bad of a team with Christian Wood back at center – or they aren’t as bad of a team. Wood missed 5 weeks with an injury, but has returned for the last four games and is starting to get back to his full usage.
As a result, the Rockets have lost by two to the Thunder and have beaten the Raptors in the last two games. Those aren’t great squads by any stretch of the imagination – but overall neither is Charlotte.
What Wood does is give the Rockets an inside presence, when they had been solely reliant on their guard play. John Wall was great on Monday with 19/11/10, and Houston won even with Victor Oladipo resting.
Wood also allows Jae’sean Tate and KJ Martin to move back to their normal positions of forward, instead of having to play center. Tate responded with 22 points in the win over Toronto.
NBA Betting Trends:
- Hornets are 5-1 ATS last 6 as a favorite
- Hornets are 2-7 ATS last 9 following a SU win
- Under is 6-1 in Hornets last 7 overall
- Rockets are 1-10 ATS last 11 as a home underdog
- Rockets are 6-20 ATS last 26 home games
- Under is 26-10 Rockets last 36 as a home underdog
Free Charlotte Hornets vs. Houston Rockets NBA Prediction:
For as atrocious as their 12-30 record is, the Rockets still have the 11th best defensive efficiency in the NBA. Their offense is dead last in efficiency, and that’s what gets them into trouble in a majority of games.
Houston has played two close games, but against bad teams. Charlotte is 9-13 on the road this season, and could very easily be looking past Houston on Wednesday.
4* Free NBA Betting Pick: Rockets +3.5
It takes some guts with how bad Houston has been playing, but they’re a different team with Wood.
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