The Charlotte Hornets entered the NBA All-Star break as one of the hottest teams in the league. They’re hoping to pick up where they left off prior to the week-long hiatus.
Charlotte (26-29) seeks its 11th win in 12 contests when it hosts the Houston Rockets (33-20) at the Spectrum Center on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET as the 2025-26 NBA season resumes. The Hornets were 12 games under .500 before beginning a nine-game winning streak on Jan. 22. Their run ended with a 110-104 home loss to the Detroit Pistons, but they edged the Atlanta Hawks 110-107 in their final outing before the break.
One of Charlotte’s triumphs during its longest winning streak since a nine-gamer in 1998-99 was a 109-99 win at Houston on Feb. 5. Rookie Kon Knueppel led the team in that contest with 24 points and LaMelo Ball added 20 as five members of the Hornets scored in double figures.
Nine other games are on Thursday’s NBA schedule, including a matchup between the Boston Celtics (35-19) and Golden State Warriors (29-26) at 10 p.m. ET at the Chase Center in San Francisco. The Celtics, who have won six of their last seven contests, and Warriors are squaring off for the first time in 2025-26 after having split their two-game series each of the last four seasons.
In another intriguing clash, the Denver Nuggets (35-20) visit the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Cal. to take on the Los Angeles Clippers (26-28) at 10:30 p.m. ET. The Nuggets won each of the first two meetings between the teams this season and four straight in the all-time series.
The college basketball slate is loaded with games, with one being an America East Conference showdown between Vermont (17-10) and UMBC (16-8) at 6 p.m. ET at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena in Catonsville, Md. The Retrievers are riding a four-game winning streak, while the Catamounts have won three in a row and are looking to sweep the season series after having posted a 64-55 home victory on Jan. 29.
The Rockets are 4.5-point favorites against the Hornets in the latest consensus NBA odds, while the Celtics are 5.5-point favorites over the Warriors. The Nuggets are 4.5-point favorites versus the Clippers and Vermont is a 1.5-point favorite against UMBC.
Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet for Thursday, Feb. 19. All times Eastern
NBA best bets, where to watch
Rockets at Hornets
Time: 7 p.m. | Location: Charlotte, N.C. | TV: NBA League Pass | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine pick — Model: Over 216.5 (-109)
Neither team is an offensive juggernaut, as the Hornets are 15th in the NBA in scoring with an average of 115.7 points and the Rockets are tied for 20th at 114.6 per game. When they met in Houston earlier this month, they combined for 208 points. However, the SportsLine Projection Model believes the clubs will be at the top of their game after the lengthy break as the Over hits in more than 64% of its simulations.
Celtics at Warriors
Time: 10 p.m. | Location: San Francisco | TV: Prime Video
SportsLine picks — Model: Over 211.5 (-110) | Expert: Celtics -5 (-114, Bruce Marshall)
The Celtics are averaging 115.3 points this season and recorded 124 against the Chicago Bulls in their final game before the All-Star break after failing to reach triple digits in their previous two contests. The Warriors nearly reached their 115.5-point average in both of their last two outings, scoring 114 in a victory over the Memphis Grizzlies and 113 in a loss to San Antonio. The SportsLine Projection Model sees both teams performing close to their norm as its simulations say the Over hits 68% of the time. SportsLine expert Bruce Marshall (35-22, +1083 on his last 57 NBA against-the-spread picks) likes the Celtics to cover the spread against a Golden State squad that remains without superstar Steph Curry (knee).
Nuggets at Clippers
Time: 10:30 p.m. | Location: Inglewood, Cal. | TV: NBA League Pass | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Over 226.5 (-107) | Expert: Nuggets -3.5 (-112, Jeff Hochman)
The Nuggets lead the NBA in scoring with an average of 120.4 points and have eclipsed that total in five of their last seven games. These teams went Over the projected total for Thursday’s matchup in each of their first two meetings this season, combining for 246 and 231 points. The SportsLine Projection Model sees no reason for that trend to continue as the Over hits in 68% of its simulations. The Nuggets went 7-3 against the spread in their first game after the All-Star break over the last 10 seasons, and SportsLine expert Jeff Hochman (7-2-1, +580 on his last 10 ATS picks involving Denver) thinks they’ll cover again this time around.
CBB best bets, where to watch
Vermont at UMBC
Time: 6 p.m. | Location: Catonsville, Md. | TV: ESPN+ | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: UMBC +104 | Expert: UMBC +1.5 (-115, Larry Hartstein)
UMBC possesses the best home record in the America East Conference at 9-2 and has won five straight contests on its own court. Seven of the Catamounts’ 10 losses this season have come away from the Roy L. Patrick Gymnasium in Burlington. The Retrievers have posted victories in 10 of their last 12 outings, and the SportsLine Projection Model thinks they’ll keep rolling as its simulations have them defeating Vermont 68% of the time. SportsLine expert Larry Hartstein (17-11-1, +458 on his last 29 college basketball ATS picks) agrees and likes UMBC to cover the spread, which it did in each of its four games since losing at Vermont late last month.
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