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The Charlotte Hornets and Houston Rockets open their seasons Wednesday. Tip-off from Toyota Center is set for 8 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NBA odds around the Hornets vs. Rockets odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: First meeting; Houston won 2-0 last season
Charlotte struggled last season, finishing 13th in the Eastern Conference with a 21-61 record. It dealt with a lot of injuries — including a season-ending ankle injury to G LaMelo Ball after just 22 games — forcing it to miss the playoffs for an 8th straight year.
The Rockets finished 11th in the Western Conference last season with a 41-41 record. Despite losing C Alperen Sengun to a season-ending ankle injury against the Sacramento Kings March 10, Houston rattled off 11 straight victories in March, putting it 3 games above .500. The Rockets went on to lose 6 of their final 9 games, missing the playoffs for the 4th straight year.
Hornets at Rockets odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of NBA odds. Lines last updated at 11:13 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Hornets +230 (bet $100 to win $230) | Rockets -300 (bet $300 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Hornets +7.5 (-110) | Rockets -7.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 229.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Hornets at Rockets key injuries
Hornets
- C Mark Williams (foot) out
Rockets
- C Steven Adams (knee, calf) questionable
For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.
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Hornets at Rockets picks and predictions
Prediction
Rockets 121, Hornets 111
Moneyline
PASS.
There is no value on the Rockets (-300) to win at this price.
Against the spread
BET ROCKETS -7.5 (-110).
Houston will roll out a fully healthy roster Wednesday, except for Adams who is listed as questionable. It is a team that has playoff aspirations this season with an intriguing roster that includes Sengun, who averaged 21.1 points and 9.3 rebounds per game last season.
While Charlotte has a frisky team, it is not equipped to deal with Houston, which is projected to win 13 more games than the Hornets this season.
Over/Under
BET OVER 229.5 (-110).
Both Charlotte and Houston can become streaky and score from deep. With Ball and F Brandon Miller — the 2nd overall selection in 2023 — healthy, expect the Hornets to lean on their 2 former lottery picks to carry the load offensively.
On the other side of the ball, Sengun and G Jalen Green, who averaged 19.6 PPG last season, will make this a high-scoring matchup.
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