3rd Quarter Report
The Rockets are on the road but looking no worse for wear. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead the Hornets 92-66.
The Rockets came into the contest with some extra motivation after the defeat they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We’ll see if they’re able to flip the script or if it’ll just be more of the same.
Who’s Playing
Houston Rockets @ Charlotte Hornets
Current Records: Houston 19-9, Charlotte 7-21
How To Watch
- When: Monday, December 23, 2024 at 7 p.m. ET
- Where: Spectrum Center — Charlotte, North Carolina
- TV: FanDuel SN – Charlotte
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $11.99
What to Know
The Hornets will be in front of their home fans on Monday, but a look at the spread shows they might need that home-court advantage. They will be home for the holidays to greet the Houston Rockets at 7:00 p.m. ET at Spectrum Center. The Hornets are limping into the matchup on a four-game losing streak.
The Hornets are headed into this one after the oddsmakers set last week’s over/under low at 213.5, but even that wound up being too high. They fell 108-98 to the 76ers on Friday.
Meanwhile, even if it wasn’t a dominant performance, the Rockets beat the Raptors 114-110 on Sunday. The victory came about thanks to a strong surge starting at the 10:41 mark of the second quarter, when Houston was facing a 40-24 deficit.
The Rockets’ win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Dillon Brooks, who had 27 points along with six rebounds and three steals. Brooks is trending in the right direction considering he’s improved his point production for three straight games. Less helpful for the Rockets was Fred VanVleet’s abysmal 0-5 three-point shooting.
The Rockets smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive rebounds (they’re ranked first in offensive rebounds per game overall). They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as the Raptors only pulled down 11.
Charlotte’s defeat dropped their record down to 7-21. As for Houston, they are on a roll lately: they’ve won four of their last five contests, which provided a nice bump to their 19-9 record this season.
Keep an eye on the arc in Monday’s game: The Hornets have made nailing deep shots look easy this year this season, having averaged 14.8 threes per game. It’s a different story for the Rockets, though, as they’ve been averaging only 11.6. Given the Hornets’ sizable advantage in that area, the Rockets will need to find a way to close that gap.
The Hornets didn’t have too much breathing room in their match against the Rockets in their previous meeting back in October, but they still walked away with a 110-105 victory. Do the Hornets have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Rockets turn the tables on them? We’ll have the answer soon enough.
Odds
Houston is a solid 6-point favorite against Charlotte, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Rockets as a 6.5-point favorite.
The over/under is 218.5 points.
See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
Charlotte has won 6 out of their last 10 games against Houston.
- Oct 23, 2024 – Charlotte 110 vs. Houston 105
- Jan 26, 2024 – Houston 138 vs. Charlotte 104
- Nov 01, 2023 – Houston 128 vs. Charlotte 119
- Apr 07, 2023 – Houston 112 vs. Charlotte 109
- Jan 18, 2023 – Charlotte 122 vs. Houston 117
- Dec 27, 2021 – Charlotte 123 vs. Houston 99
- Nov 27, 2021 – Houston 146 vs. Charlotte 143
- Mar 24, 2021 – Charlotte 122 vs. Houston 97
- Feb 08, 2021 – Charlotte 119 vs. Houston 94
- Mar 07, 2020 – Charlotte 108 vs. Houston 99
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