Two teams sitting on opposite ends of the NBA standings will tip-off for action as the Boston Celtics square off with the Charlotte Hornets to kick off the Saturday! Join us for our NBA odds series where our Celtics-Hornets prediction and pick will be revealed.

Entering play today, the Celtics boast the top record throughout the entire NBA and have no plans on slowing down anytime soon. Most recently, Boston was able to down the Brooklyn Nets who are without Kevin Durant by a score of 109-98, and have now won five consecutive games to push their division lead to a full three games.

As for the Hornets, a slew of injuries and porous play has seen their disheartening record go to 11-32 through 43 games of the season which at the moment is one of the worst records in all of the NBA. Nevertheless, Charlotte is back at full strength minus the absence of Gordon Hayward who continues to rehab from a hamstring ailment. Alas, the Hornets are on a three-game losing skid and have only won one game in their previous seven contests overall.

Here are the Celtics-Hornets NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel

NBA Odds: Celtics-Hornets Odds

Boston Celtics: -8 (-110)

Charlotte Hornets: +8 (-110)

Over: 232 (-110)

Under: 232 (-110)

How To Watch Celtics vs. Hornets

TV: NBC Sports Boston

Stream: NBA League Pass

Time: 7:00 ET/4:00 PT

*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Celtics Could Cover The Spread

After embarking on a magical NBA finals run a year ago that was ultimately ended by the now-defending champion Golden State Warriors, the Celtics have once again proven that they are in a prime position to repeat as Eastern Conference Champions. Although it was Boston's usual dominant defense that got off to a slower start than normal this season, they have definitely dialed in as of late with a tenacious approach that oftentimes leaves the opposition speechless. In fact, the Celtics forced 12 Nets turnovers and held the shorthanded Brooklyn offense to under 100 points on the evening.

Obviously, a repeated effort on the defensive side of the court will be one of the main priorities for Boston if they are planning on covering the spread. At first glance, the Hornets only average 112 points per game and while that might've been a whole lot back in the olden days, this number ranks among the bottom ten of the NBA in scoring. This means well for the men in green, as Boston's defensive unit is among the upper half of the league in points allowed per game.

Not only will a steady effort on defense most likely get the job done this evening for Boston but finding the open man on offense will prove to be the formula for success. Even without the services of Jalen Brown who was held out of Thursday night's action with an abductor strain and will most likely be held out of tonight's action, the Celtics roster is as deep as they come. Be on the lookout for the dynamic duo guard play of Derrick White and Payton Pritchard to continue to log in valuable minutes for the Celtics.

Why The Hornets Could Cover The Spread

Despite the Hornets coming into this one as massive underdogs, there is still reason to believe that Charlotte can pull off the unthinkable in front of the home faithful on this Saturday. For starters, the Hornets need to shake off the horrendous play that has been haunting them for the better part of the entire season. Whether it has been the Hornets missing free throws, turning the ball over frequently, or not shooting the ball very effectively, the Hornets need to bring their A-game to nearly every facet of the game if they want to come out on top.

Of course, this starts with the electric play from point guard LaMelo Ball who is finally near 100% health at the halfway mark of regular season play. After missing valuable time with an ankle injury, Ball recently dropped 32 points on 57% shooting from the floor and dished out 14 assists in the game prior to that.

With that being said, scoring the basketball hasn't really been the main issue for the Hornets this season, as it has been the defense that has impersonated a slice of Swiss cheese for a majority of their action played. On paper, Charlotte is surrendering 118 points per game which has caused a multitude of issues thus far. In their previous three losses combined, the Hornets have been allowing an average of 124 PPG which is by and far not a good winning formula. Certainly, the Hornets lack the talent to slow down the Celtics' high-octane attack at a frequent rate, so Charlotte will have to hope that Boston has an off-shooting night to stay within striking distance on the scoreboard.

Final Celtics-Hornets Prediction & Pick

This decision is as easy as it looks. While Charlotte does happen to be at home in this matchup, they won't have enough firepower to hang with a championship-caliber team like the Celtics.

Final Celtics-Hornets Prediction & Pick: Celtics -8 (-110)