Kings vs. Rockets injury report, odds, spread: John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins to debut in first meaningful game together since Kentucky

The Houston Rockets enter Thursday's home opener vs. Sacramento at 0-2, but that's understandable considering the Rockets have been James Harden, Christian Wood and not much else due to the roster being decimated by COVID-19 protocols. The good news is that two former All-Stars and University of Kentucky one-and-done teammates, John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins, will make their Houston debuts against the Kings -- and former Sixth Man of the Year Eric Gordon also will play for the first time this season. The Rockets opened as 3.5-point favorites on the William Hill Sportsbook NBA odds, but that number has been climbing with this news.

Of course, the Rockets traded Russell Westbrook to Washington on the eve of the season for the five-time All-Star Wall in the hopes that Wall would help convince Harden to withdraw his trade request. Thursday will be Wall's first regular-season NBA action since Dec. 26, 2018, in Detroit. The former No. 1 overall pick has had numerous injuries/surgeries since then.

Cousins, a four-time All-Star, was signed to a low-risk, high-reward one-year deal in the offseason as his past few seasons also have been ruined by injuries/surgeries. Cousins will be playing his first game that counts since June 14, 2019, which was when Golden State lost Game 6 of the NBA Finals and the series to the Toronto Raptors.

Wall and Cousins were freshman stars on the 2009-10 Kentucky team that finished 35-3 and was favored to win it all but somehow didn't win a national title with Patrick Patterson, Darius Miller and Eric Bledsoe also on that club, losing to West Virginia in the Elite Eight. Wall went first in the 2010 NBA Draft to Washington and Cousins fifth to Sacramento. The two have been friends ever since and always hoped to play together in the NBA.

Gordon averaged 14.4 points last season for Houston, largely off the bench, and should again anchor the second team. The Rockets aren't totally whole yet with Ben McLemore and K.J. Martin still in the NBA's COVID-19 protocols. Houston hasn't started a season 0-3 since 2015-16.

Sacramento (3-1) has been a pleasant surprise thus far but has only played two teams: Denver and Phoenix (both good teams). The Kings, though, have lost 20 of their past 23 meetings vs. the Rockets. Sacramento has covered just one of the past seven.

There will be around 4,500 fans allowed in attendance Thursday.