The Houston Rockets aren’t good enough.  Those were James Harden’s words after his team took another loss by the LA Lakers last night and the All-Star player expects more from the rest of the bench going forward.  The Rockets have tonight off to try to figure out what’s going wrong, but there are several other games worth tuning into for some basketball action tonight.

Hornets Outmanned Against The Mavs

The Charlotte Hornets are back on the court tonight against the Dallas Mavericks after having gotten off to a 6-5 start this season.  This game was close to being postponed due to COVID-19 issues on the Mavs’ side, but everything was worked out to allow the game to move forward.  These two teams already met once this season, with Dallas taking the win, and the Hornets are going to have another hard time tonight.

Charlotte has now won four in a row, thanks in no small part to Gordon Hayward.  Against the New York Knicks Monday, he put up 34 points and is averaging 29.2 per game.  The Mavs beat the Orlando Magic this past Saturday and are 5-4, so expect this game to provide some excitement.  Unibet is giving the Mavs the advantage at -175 (+143 for the Hornets) and 4.5 points, which shouldn’t be an issue.  The Over/Under is at 220 and, with consecutive 200-point games for both teams, the Over should hit.

The Detroit Pistons haven’t found a lot of success so far this season, dropping eight of ten games.  They will try to rebound against the Milwaukee Bucks tonight but, at 7-4, it won’t be easy.  The Bucks are taking the court without forward Torrey Craig, but the rest of the bench is healthy.  On the opposite side, Killian Hayes is out and the Pistons are waiting to determine if Derrick Rose, dealing with a knee issue, can play.

Because of how they’ve been running so far this season, the Bucks are the clear favorites.  At -590, the moneyline isn’t worth a second glance.  The Bucks are getting 10.5 points, which is to be expected, and taking the Under on the Over/Under of 227 (-113) is worth a small bet.

Lakers On A Hot Streak

LeBron James and the LA Lakers are back in action tonight, taking on the Oklahoma City Thunder in an unfair matchup.  The Lakers are running 9-3 so far, while the Thunder have only been able to break even.  LA has most of its players on the court, even though Anthony Davis and Wesley Matthews are questionable.  Oklahoma City, though, is playing without Trevor Ariza and Ty Jerome.

The Lakers have won their last two games, most recently against the underwhelming Rockets.  They will extend that performance tonight and are looking at a strong -335 to get it done.  Even the 8-point spread doesn’t do the team justice and the Over/Under of 218 (-109) should have little difficulty being reached.

Pels No Match For The Clips

The LA Clippers will host the New Orleans Pelicans after getting off to a strong start that now finds them 7-4.  The Pels have run into some difficulty at home and lost three straight games, including a 118-110 loss to the Hornets last Friday.  The team was to challenge the Mavs on Monday, but COVID-19 issues kept Dallas at home.

New Orleans heads out on a six-game road trip that will likely have them begging to return home.  J.J. Reddick is probable for the game, but Lonzo Ball is going to have to sit this one out due to a knee injury.  The Clippers might play without Ivica Zubac but, even if they do, it won’t make a big difference.  The Clippers are getting -305 and 7.5 points, and this one is a given.  The Over/Under of 218 (-110), despite the issues with the Pels, will be found.