Rockets at Hornets: Betting odds, point spread for Monday night
In the first game of a road back-to-back, John Wall and the Houston Rockets visit Gordon Hayward and the Charlotte Hornets on Monday.
From Houston’s perspective, what’s most interesting is that neither Wall nor Victor Oladipo is listed on the official injury report for Monday’s game. Neither of those two veteran guards has played in both ends of a back-to-back in the 2020-21 season, and to this point, the Rockets (11-11) have chosen to stagger their absences on different ends.
It’s possible that head coach Stephen Silas could be opting to revise the usual “maintenance” protocol for at least one part of that duo. Or, it might be that the Rockets see Monday’s game at Charlotte (11-13) as easier to win than Tuesday’s game at New Orleans (10-12).
With star big man Christian Wood sidelined indefinitely with a right ankle sprain, the Rockets need all the wins they can get in the interim. While Houston had won seven of eight prior to Wood’s latest injury, they lost Saturday’s home game to San Antonio in the first matchup after.
The Hornets will be on the back end of their own back-to-back, though both games are in Charlotte — which means there’s no travel in between. The Hornets may also benefit from Sunday’s game having a midday start time thanks to the Super Bowl, which will buy them a few more hours of rest than teams normally have in back-to-back scenarios.
In Sunday’s opener, the Hornets cruised past the Wizards, 119-97 (box score), with Rozier and Hayward combining for 51 points.
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Rockets at Hornets: Lineups, injury reports, and broadcast info for Monday
The lines, courtesy of BetMGM
Point spread: Rockets -2.5 (-115), Hornets +2.5 (-105)
Moneyline: Rockets -150/Hornets +125
Over-under: 221.5 (-115 O, -105 U)
Player O/U Scoring Props: Victor Oladipo 19.5 (-130 O, +100 U), John Wall 18.5 (-115 O, -110 U), DeMarcus Cousins 15.5 (-120 O, -105 U), Jae’Sean Tate 8.5 (-115 O, -110 U), PJ Tucker 5.5 (-110 O, -110 U); Charlotte TBD
Place your legal, online sports bets in CO, IN, MI, NV, NJ, PA, TN, and WV at BetMGM.
Monday’s projected starters for Charlotte are Terry Rozier, Devonte’ Graham, LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward, and Cody Zeller. Meanwhile, Houston is expected to counter with John Wall, Victor Oladipo, Jae’Sean Tate, PJ Tucker and DeMarcus Cousins. If either Wall or Oladipo ends up a late scratch, given the back-to-back, Eric Gordon would start.
Advice and prediction
Between Rozier, Graham, and a star rookie in Ball, the Hornets are quite guard-heavy. That might be factor into the apparent decision by the Rockets to play both Wall and Oladipo in this game. Silas will meet with the media at approximately 90 minutes before Monday’s tipoff, which is when there could be final confirmation on the team’s plans.
Predicting the winner is tough, given back-to-back considerations for both teams and their comparable records. The safest bet involving the Rockets, who have the NBA’s No. 2 overall defense, could be the under — which has cashed on a fairly consistent basis in recent weeks.
Prediction: 111-107, Rockets
Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.
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