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Rockets Look to Go Back-to-Back by Thumping Hornets

After snapping a losing streak on Monday, the Houston Rockets will look to record consecutive victories when they play host to the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night. There’s one problem though. The feisty Eastern Conference playoff contenders might not cooperate.

Can the Rockets make it two straight sportsbook betting wins? Will the feisty Hornets get it done in Texas for the second straight game?

Denzel Valentine of the Chicago Bulls puts up a basket ahead of Sterling Brown of the Houston Rockets
Carmen Mandato/Getty Images/AFP

The NBA Odds for this matchup and every other Wednesday night matchup, go live following Tuesday’s modest six-game slate of action.

Charlotte Hornets (21-21) vs Houston Rockets (12-30)

  • When: Wednesday, March 24, 2021, at 8 p.m. ET
  • Where: Toyota Center, Houston, TX
  • TV: NBALP, ATT Sportsnet – South, Fox Sports Southeast
  • Radio: KBME/KTRH/S: KLATWFNZ 610 AM/102.5 FM

Check out our value-packed 2021 NBA Conference Championship Odds.

Hornets Look to Get Past Loss of Ball

Charlotte got some bad news over the weekend. Star rookie point guard LaMelo Ball is out for the remainder of the season after suffering a broken wrist against the Clippers on Saturday.

Still, the Hornets showed their mettle by getting past a hot San Antonio Spurs team 100-97 on Monday night. Gordon Hayward scored 27 points and Terry Rozier added 24 as Charlotte won its first game without Ball.

“We are definitely going to miss him,” said Rozier, who refers to Ball as his “little brother.”But we’ve just to got to adjust. This is what we’ve got. He’s a special player, a great player, but this is part of the NBA. Not move on, but we’ve just got to make it happen.”

Now in sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings, Charlotte is just a half-game behind fourth-place Miami.  The Hornets covered the spread as 5-point road dogs on Monday to snap a three-game ATS skid and improve to 3-3 ATS over their last six.

Charlotte ranks 19th in scoring (111.7 ppg) and 21st in points allowed (111.1 ppg). The Hornets have gone 11-11 ATS on the road this season.

Here is this week’s look at the hottest ATS teams in the league.

Rockets Look to Build

I know it sounds strange describing a meaningless March win as ‘momentous’ but for Houston, Monday night’s 117-99 smackdown of Toronto was just that. The Rockets snapped a 20-game skid against the Raptors as John Wall went for a triple-double of 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.

“Losing 20 straight, we haven’t been healthy, but that’s not an excuse because everybody’s been going through health and safety protocols and injuries,” Wall said afterward.  “We just went out there and competed, no matter what and what was going on.”

Houston covered the spread as an 8.5-point home dog to snap a five-game ATS losing streak. The Rockets are ranked 24th in scoring (107.1 ppg) and 23rd in points allowed (113.4 ppg). Houston has gone 4-17 ATS at home.

And The Winner Is…

Are the Rockets the better team in this matchup with LaMelo Ball out? No, they aren’t. Still, I’m expecting the Rockets to come out and play some confident basketball while Charlotte struggles without Ball running the show.

Houston has won 17 of the last 20 meetings and 15 straight at home against the Hornets. The Rockets still have a solid roster that features two near all-star talents in Wall and young big man Christian Wood. Most of all, I suspect Houston is going to come up with a tremendous effort while Charlotte feels the effects of being without LaMelo Ball.

Pick: Rockets 111 Hornets 106

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