The Charlotte Hornets will travel to take on the Brooklyn Nets in a Wednesday night NBA matchup at the Barclays Center. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes a Hornets-Nets prediction and pick, laid out below.
Charlotte has suffered to a 7-17 record, 13th place in the Eastern Conference. The Hornets have lost three of their last four games, including a two-game losing streak. This is going to be a long and painful season for Charlotte, especially without LaMelo Ball for the foreseeable future.
Brooklyn has been up and down, playing to a 13-12 record, sixth place in the Eastern Conference. A ton of controversy surrounding former head coach Steve Nash and point guard Kyrie Irving could be to blame for the team's struggles. Jacque Vaughn has gone 11-7 since replacing Nash.
Here are the Hornets-Nets NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Hornets-Nets Odds
Charlotte Hornets: +10 (-105)
Brooklyn Nets: -10 (-114)
Over: 222 (-110)
Under: 222 (-110)
Why The Hornets Could Cover The Spread
Charlotte has missed LaMelo Ball, who has played in just three games this season due to various injuries. Terry Rozier has stepped up in Ball’s absence, averaging 21.3 points per game to lead the team. Rozier and Dennis Smith, Jr., who is also out indefinitely, have dished out 5.7 assists each. Mason Plumlee has been the team’s best rebounder, pulling in 9.1 rebounds while scoring 9.3 points per game. Los Angeles has limited opponent rebounding well, but Plumlee is a huge presence in the paint. Kelly Oubre, Jr. is on pace for a career year, averaging 20.1 points to rank second on the team. Across a full season, the scoring output would set a career-high for the veteran forward. PJ Washington is averaging 15.9 points per game, while Jalen McDaniels has put 10.1 points per game, rounding out the four healthy Hornets averaging double-digit points.
Charlotte ranks 26th in the league with 109.3 points per game. Defense has been a bit better for the Hornets, ranking 20th with 115.1 points allowed per game. Charlotte needs to capitalize on their ability to steal the ball, ranking 10th with 7.6 steals per game.
Why The Nets Could Cover The Spread
Kevin Durant has been the best player for Brooklyn, leading the team with 29.9 points per game, shooting 55.3 percent from the field. Durant has also pulled in 6.6 rebounds, which is tied for second on the team and has dished out 5.4 assists per game, also second on the team. Kyrie Irving has only played in 17 games this season due to some behavior issues but has averaged 24.4 points per game. Nic Claxton is the third and final Net to average double-digit points, with 11.8 points and a team-leading 8.8 rebounds per game. Ben Simmons, who is likely out until the end of the week, is leading the team with 5.8 assists per game. Brooklyn leads the league by averaging 7.2 blocks per game, and Charlotte is the worst in the league at preventing blocked shots. Claxton leads the team with 2.2 blocks per game. Brooklyn ranks second in the league, shooting 49.4 percent from the field.
Brooklyn's offense ranks 20th in the league with 110.9 points per game. Their defense has been strong, ranking eighth by allowing 110.1 points per game.
Final Hornets-Nets Prediction & Pick
For all their issues, Brooklyn is pretty damn talented. The lack of depth on both sides is concerning, but the talent will prevail in this one.
Final Hornets-Nets Prediction & Pick: Brooklyn -10 (-114), over 222 (-110)
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