Houston Rockets vs Charlotte Hornets Prediction
| Game Time | 7:00 pm EST |
| Houston Rockets Line | -5.5 |
| Charlotte Hornets Line | +5.5 |
| Total | 217 |
| TV: | NBA TV |
Below is a detailed analysis for Houston Rockets vs Charlotte Hornets game.
PREGAME WARM-UP:
In this East vs West matchup between two teams on opposite trajectories both lately and throughout the season, the Charlotte Hornets are hosting the Houston Rockets. The Rockets are having one of the best seasons of recent years, as they are currently third in the West and are coming off a bounce-back home victory. On the other hand, the Hornets have been one of the weakest squads of the East, and have been on a free fall lately, having just one win in their last thirteen matches.
Houston Rockets vs Charlotte Hornets Prediction
Charlotte Hornets Injury Report: Brandon Miller is day-to-day, and Tre Mann and Grant Williams are out.
Houston Rockets Injury Report: Tari Eason is day-to-day.
Charlotte Hornets Form and Trends
The Charlotte Hornets have a 7-21 record this season and are sitting on the third to last place of the East. The Hornets are 15-13 against the spread and 12-15-1 in over/under. Charlotte is 5-10 at home but 8-7 against the spread, with a -3.7-point differential. The Hornets are 1-12 in their last 13 games, and 2-6 against the spread in their last 8. Over is 3-0 in their last 3 home games.
The Hornets are coming off a 98-108 loss by Philadelphia, and had an all-around offensive effort, with six of its players scoring double figures. Vasilije Micic led Charlotte’s offense with 20 points and 4 assists.
LaMello Ball leads the Hornets both in scoring with 30.4 points, and in assists made with 7.5, adding 5.3 rebounds per game. Brandon Miller adds 21.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists.
Houston Rockets Recent Form and Trends
The Rockets have a 18-9 record this season and are sitting on the third place of the West. Houston is 17-10 against the spread and 13-14 in over/under. The Rockets have a 7-5 road record, and are 7-5 against the spread, with a +2.9-point differential. The Rockets are 3-1 in their last 4 games, but 2-4 against the spread in their last 6.
The Rockets are coming off a 133-113 win over New Orleans, as they torched the Pelicans by shooting with 57% from the field. All of Houston’s starters scored double digits, led by Jalen Green with 34 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists.
Green leads the Rockets in scoring with an average of 19.5 points and 4.7 rebounds. Alperen Sengun adds 18.8 points, 5.2 assists and a team-high 10.6 rebounds.
Statistical Breakdown
Offensively, the Hornets average 106.6 points per game, which is just 27th in the NBA. They have the worst field goal percentage in the league, with just 42.9%, while they shoot with 34.8% from beyond the arc (19th). Defensively, the Hornets allow 113 points per game, which is 15th in the league.
Offensively, the Rockets average 112.9 point per game, ranking 15th in the league. Houston does not shoot the ball very well, with just 44.2% from the field (26th) and 32.7% from beyond the arc (28th). Defensively, they are third-best in the league, allowing 106.4 points per game.
In their previous meeting earlier this season, the Hornets won 110-105 on the road. the Rockets are 3-1 in their last 4 meetings, but the Hornets are 7-3 against the spread in their last 10 meetings. Under is 4-1 in their last 5 meetings in Charlotte.
Prediction
In this Houston Rockets vs Charlotte Hornets Prediction, the Rockets are coming as -5.5 road favorites. The Rockets are rightfully favored as they are superior team in this matchup, but they are playing their second leg of a road back-to-back, that included travelling from Canada, so this is a bad scheduling spot for them. I cannot make a case for the Hornets as home dogs either, so let’s take a look at the total. The Rockets have the third-best defense in the NBA, and go against the fourth-worst offense. Both teams are bottom-5 in the league in field goal percentage, so I expect points to be at a premium in this game. Take the under the point total. Nick’s Pick: Under 217
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