Charlotte Hornets vs Houston Rockets Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 26/01/2024, 04:58  by Joseph King | Modified on 26/01/2024 at 11:00 in NBA Prediction

The struggling Charlotte Hornets host the faltering Houston Rockets for this NBA matchup on Sunday night. Charlotte currently sits 13th in the Eastern Conference with the fourth-worst record in the entire NBA at 10-32. The Rockets, meanwhile, are 11th in the West with a 20-23 record and see themselves plummeting out of the playoff picture fast. The Hornets suffered a bad 113-106 loss to the lowly Detroit Pistons in their last outing which followed up a fantastic 128-125 win over the Timberwolves. That sequence of results encapsulates the type of inconsistency that has plagued this young Charlotte team all season. They’ll need star point-guard LaMelo Ball to get back on track with the 22-year-old shooting just 34% from the field in his last two games with an average of 17.5 points per game.

The Rockets have been one of the NBA’s most puzzling teams. Ime Udoka’s men look like legitimate contenders on their home court with the team’s hard-nosed defense giving up the fifth-lowest opponent points total in the league. However, this all changes when they take their show on the road as their winning percentage drops from .667 to .211 and their defense gives up almost 10.0 more points per contest. The result is a Rockets team that is barely hanging on in the playoff race. They’re currently on the outside looking in as they would need to overtake the 10th-place Utah Jazz, who they trail by 1.5 games, for a spot in the play-in tournament. The Rockets are coming off a tough 137-131 overtime loss at home to the Trail Blazers, their second loss in a row and their fifth defeat from the last six.