The NBA regular season continues with games on Wednesday. The Charlotte Hornets will travel to take on the Boston Celtics. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Hornets-Celtics prediction and pick.
These two teams have had very similar starts to the season. The Charlotte Hornets are 24-20 and have won five of their last six games. While the Boston Celtics are 23-22 and have also won five of their last six games. This should be a great game between two hot teams.
Here are the Hornets-Celtics NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Hornets-Celtics Odds
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Charlotte Hornets: +3 (-108)
Boston Celtics: -3 (-112)
Over: 219.5 (-112)
Under: 219.5 (-108)
Why The Hornets Could Cover The Spread
The Charlotte Hornets have had a solid start to the year. Like every team, they have had to overcome injuries and COVID, but for the most part, they have remained competitive. Through the first half of the season, they have managed to win 24 games and lose 20. Charlotte has won five of their last six games, and are coming off a 10 point victory over the New York Knicks. The Hornets will look to build on that performance as they enter a tough match on Wednesday. The Boston Celtics are a tough opponent and if Charlotte wants to come out on top they will need to step things up.
Charlotte's battle against New York was a defensive match. The two teams combined for only 184 points. Both teams, as a whole, struggled offensively in that match. However, the Hornets were carried by one of their star players, Miles Bridges. Bridges went off against the Knicks, scoring 38 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. He was one of only two players to score more than 20 points in that game. Charlotte will look to improve their scoring on Wednesday as they face off with Boston. If the Hornets want to win on Wednesday they will need their players to start shooting more efficiently.
While many teams are suffering from COVID and injuries, the Hornets are largely unaffected. Charlotte currently only has one player listed on their injury report. Kelly Oubre, who has been in the league's health and safety protocols, is listed as questionable for Wednesday's match. Regardless of Oubre's availability, the Hornets have enough of their roster available to compete. Charlotte could definitely edge out the Celtics in this match, they just need to improve on their last game as they face tougher competition.
Why The Celtics Could Cover The Spread
The Boston Celtics have had somewhat of a rollercoaster of a season. Many people thought that Boston would be a top competitor in the league, but they have not looked the part. Through the first half of the year, they have barely squeaked out a winning record with only 23 wins and 22 losses. With that said, the Celtics have managed to win five of their last six games and look like they might finally be heating up. Boston is coming off a 12-point victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. The Celtics will look to bring that same energy into Wednesday's match as they face off against a solid competitor.
Boston played a solid all-around game against the Pelicans. Perhaps the most impressive part of their victory over New Orleans was how balanced a performance it was from their team. All five of the Celtics starters scored double-digit points. Three out of five of their starters scored more than 20 points. Boston's team is starting to look like one of the most balanced in the league. It's tough for an opponent to compete when scoring is evenly spread across a team's roster. If Boston can continue to spread the ball and the scoring across the team then they could easily win again on Wednesday.
At one point in the season, the Celtics were devastated with injuries and COVID. However, Boston is seemingly over that hump. The Celtics currently have only three players listed on their injury report. One of those players, Marcus Smart, is listed as questionable for Wednesday's match. In Smart's absence, Dennis Schroder has done a good job of picking up the slack. So, regardless of his availability, the Celtics should have no problem competing on Wednesday. Expect the Celtics to come into this game ready for battle.
Final Hornets-Celtics Prediction & Pick
This is a difficult pick. Boston has looked very solid recently. The Celtics have been on a hot streak and have managed to finally string together some impressive wins. However, now that LaMelo Ball is back for Charlotte, the Hornets should have the edge here. Charlotte has also been a competitive team. When they have their full roster available, as they will on Wednesday, they are able to compete with and beat some of the best teams in the league. Pick the Hornets to win and cover.
FINAL HORNETS-CELTICS PICK: Charlotte Hornets +3 (-108)
FINAL HORNETS-CELTICS SCORE PREDICTION: Hornets 110 – Celtics 108
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