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The NBA regular season continues with games on Friday. The Oklahoma City Thunder will hit the road and take on the Charlotte Hornets. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Thunder-Hornets prediction and pick.
These two teams have had somewhat different starts to the season. The Oklahoma City Thunder are 14-30 and have lost their last three games. While the Charlotte Hornets are 25-20 and have won six of their last seven games. This should be an interesting matchup between two teams trending in different directions.
Here are the Thunder-Hornets NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Thunder-Hornets Odds
Oklahoma City Thunder: +9 (-110)
Charlotte Hornets: -9 (-110)
Over: 223.5 (-110)
Under: 223.5 (-110)
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Why The Thunder Could Cover The Spread
The Oklahoma City Thunder have had a very poor start to the year. While many teams have struggled with both COVID and injuries, the Thunder’s biggest struggle so far has been winning games. Through the first half of the season, OKC only has 14 wins and a staggering 30 losses. The Thunder are coming off three straight losses, with their most recent defeat coming at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs by 22. OKC will look to bounce back on Friday as they face yet another tough opponent. If the Thunder can fix their mistakes from their previous games then they have a shot at turning things around, however, they face an uphill battle.
The Thunder did not look very good in their loss to the Spurs. Perhaps the most staggering statistic was their poor shooting performance. OKC took 98 shots in that game, two more than the Spurs, but only made 38 of them, compared to 47 from San Antonio. This inefficiency is the reason that the Thunder couldn’t keep up with the Spurs and have been struggling to match any team. Additionally, OKC shot less than 26% from beyond the arc, making only eight of their 31 attempts. If the Thunder want to start winning games they need to hit shots at a higher percentage.
The only thing OKC has going for themselves is that they are healthy. When most teams are faced with some key players missing games, the Thunder are nearly all available. Currently, there are only two roster members listed on the injury report. One of those players, Derrick Favors, is listed as questionable for Friday’s match. At least the Thunder have nearly all their guys because they are going to need every last one of them.
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Why The Hornets Could Cover The Spread
The Charlotte Hornets have had a solid start to the year. Like most teams, the biggest adversity they have had to deal with has come in the form of COVID and injuries. Yet through it all, they have managed to come out on top. Through the first half of the season, the Hornets have secured a winning record with 25 wins and 20 losses. On top of that, Charlotte has won six of their last seven games. The Hornets have looked really good lately and have a shot of winning another game on Friday. OKC is an opponent that the Hornets should beat, however, sometimes it’s the games you’re supposed to win that you end up losing.
Charlotte is fresh off a nine-point victory over the Boston Celtics. The Hornets had a great game in Boston and will look to carry that same energy and momentum into their match on Friday. Charlotte came out ahead in that match because of their efficiency. They only took 86 shots, but made nearly 49% of them and scored 111 points. Additionally, they made 41% of their 39 three-pointers. The Hornets put in a solid all-around performance and if they can mimic that on Friday, then they should have no problem defending their home turf.
Injuries and COVID were both once big concerns in Charlotte, however that narrative seems to be completely done. The Hornets currently have only one player listed on their injury report. That one player, PJ Washington, is listed as questionable for Friday's match. The healthy Hornets have been on a hot streak lately and will look to keep that going on Friday. At full health, Charlotte has the potential to be one of the most competitive teams in the league.
Final Thunder-Hornets Prediction & Pick
In three of their last four games, the Hornets have won by nine or more points. The Thunder are fresh off a 22 point loss. This is just a lopsided matchup that should easily go Charlotte’s way. However, the main focus is not just a win, but the margin of victory. With Charlotte's recent track record, they seem like the right pick here. The Hornets have the firepower to demolish OKC and that should be on full display on Friday. Pick the Hornets to win and cover.
FINAL THUNDER-HORNETS PICK: Charlotte Hornets -9 (-110)
FINAL THUNDER-HORNETS SCORE PREDICTION: Hornets 116 – Thunder 102
