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The Charlotte Hornets will try to reverse their losing ways as they make the trip to Milwaukee on Friday to kick off the weekend in a bout with the Bucks. Join us for our NBA odds series where our Hornets-Bucks prediction and pick will be made.
It certainly has been a nightmarish start for a Charlotte squad that comes into play with an extremely lackluster 10-29 record. Losers in five of their previous six games, the time is now for the Hornets to right their wrongs if they want any chance to change their fortunes this season.
Almost the exact opposite could be said when talking about the Bucks as Milwaukee has stormed out of the gates to a 25-13 record and have been nearly impossible at home with a 16-4 mark. Most recently, the Bucks secured a hard-earned and gritty overtime win over the Raptors by a score of 104-101. Can Milwaukee keep pace as the leader of the Central Division over the Cavaliers with a win over the Hornets?
Here are the Hornets-Bucks NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Hornets-Bucks Odds
Charlotte Hornets: +10 (-112)
Milwaukee Bucks: -10 (-108)
Over: 232 (-110)
Under: 232 (-110)
How To Watch Hornets vs. Bucks
TV: Bally Sports, SE Charlotte
Stream: NBA League Pass
Time: 8:00 ET/5:00 PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Hornets Could Cover The Spread
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Although they enter this contest as extreme underdogs, there is still reason to believe that the Hornets can get the job done on Friday with their abundant young talent. For starters, Charlotte's odds of covering tonight's hefty spread all falls on the shoulders of point guard LaMelo Ball who has finally returned from an ailing injury that sidelined him for multiple weeks. Now back at full health, Ball has reminded the rest of the league what kind of special player he can be at only the age of 21. In fact, the skilled floor general last dropped 23 points while also dishing out 12 assists to his teammates in the loss to the Grizzlies.
Unfortunately, Charlotte hasn't been able to fully escape the ugliness that is the injury buy, as Kelly Oubre Jr. will be sidelined for the next month after undergoing surgery on his hand while Gordon Hayward also isn't quite 100% as of yet. Nevertheless, Charlotte has gotten good production out of “Scary” Terry Rozier who has had back-to-back games with at least 20 points. Alas, someone will need to step up in a big way while Oubre remains out, so look no further than Rozier to continue to fill up the stat sheet later this evening.
Above all else, it will prove to be extremely vital for the Hornets to improve a defensive unit that has been largely pathetic for a while now. As a whole, Charlotte is allowing teams to score nearly 119 PPG which currently serves as the third-worst mark in the NBA. After surrendering a whopping 131 points in the loss to Memphis, Charlotte must get some stops down the stretch to have any chance in this one.
Why The Bucks Could Cover The Spread
On paper, few teams from around the league have been as effective all-around than Milwaukee, as the Bucks also hold an above-average mark when it comes to covering the spread with a 20-16 record overall.
In their overtime triumph over Toronto, the Bucks' dominant paint play was clearly a major factor in their ability to secure the victory, but their three-point shooting was often spotty and has been rather inconsistent for the better part of the first half of the season thus far. When taking a deeper look at things from a statistical standpoint, Milwaukee is shooting 34% from downtown which is only the 23rd-best percentage in the league. Certainly, the Bucks' perimeter shooting could make or break Milwaukee and it will end up being important for them to shoot the three-ball early to establish a rhythm in that aspect of the game.
However, fear not Milwaukee bettors, for the Bucks' greatest calling card comes in the form of their phenomenal front-court that remains one of the more lethal units in all of basketball. Of course, Giannis continues to put on a show with his 32.1 PPG, but don't sleep on the fact that guys like Bobby Portis are more than capable to put on a show in front of thousands of screaming fans as well. In fact, Portis most recently had a solid double-double against the Raptors with 14 points on 12 rebounds and could have his way in the paint yet again against a shorter Hornets squad. Keep your eyes peeled on Milwaukee's role players to play a big part in how successful they can be once things tip off for play this evening.
Final Hornets-Bucks Prediction & Pick
While it may seem like a no-brainer pick to side with the Bucks in this one, don't be surprised if Charlotte give Milwaukee a runoff its money before the latter eventually takes care of business in the closing stages. Alas, the Bucks should have plenty of firepower to cover on their home floor.
Final Hornets-Bucks Prediction & Pick: Bucks -10 (-108)
