The NBA regular season continues with games on Monday. The Charlotte Hornets will hit the road and take on the Washington Wizards. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Hornets-Wizards prediction and pick.
Both of these teams have had similar starts to the season. The Charlotte Hornets have a record of 19-18 and are coming off a big loss. While the Washington Wizards are 18-18 and lost their last game by only 1. This should be a good game between two teams trying to bounce back from tough losses.
Here are the odds for the Hornets-Wizards Monday night NBA matchup, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Hornets-Wizards Odds
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Charlotte Hornets: +1.5 (-110)
Washington Wizards: -1.5 (-110)
Over: 232 (-110)
Under: 232 (-110)
Why The Hornets Could Cover The Spread
The Charlotte Hornets have had lots of ups and downs this season. They have battled through injuries and COVID, and have managed to squeak out a winning record. Through their first 37 games they have won 19 and lost 18. Charlotte's most recent defeat came at the hands of the Phoenix Suns by 34. The Hornets will be looking to bounce back from that loss as they face off against a vulnerable Wizards team. While Charlotte, like every team, is impacted by COVID, it seems like they are over the hump. With a mostly healthy roster, playing against a competitive team, the Hornets will try and rise to the occasion and pull off the upset.
The Hornets had their nearly complete roster available in their loss to the Suns. However, even with everyone playing, Charlotte still lost by more than 30 points. So what happened? Phoenix purely outproduced Charlotte across the board. The Suns took nearly 20 more shots and made over 10 more shots than the Hornets. Phoenix also had significantly more rebounds and assists than Charlotte. The Hornets really just didn't play a complete game. Miles Bridges led the team in minutes played with 26. If Charlotte wants to win on Monday they need their players to step up and contribute more meaningful minutes.
While COVID has spread throughout the league, nearly every NBA team has been affected. The Hornets are no exception as they had many players in the league's health and safety protocols up until their most recent games. Currently Charlotte only has 2 players on the COVID list. This is huge for the Hornets. Now that they have a healthy roster they can begin competing at a higher level against tougher opponents and they will be able to take advantage of teams still suffering from the virus. This could be a real momentum shifter for Charlotte.
Why The Wizards Could Cover The Spread
The Washington Wizards have been having a very interesting season. They have managed to compete with some of the best teams in the league, yet have come up short in games they should have won. Through their first 36 games they are dead even with a record of 18-18. They are coming off an extremely disappointing 1 point loss to the Chicago Bulls. This Wizards team has been dealing with injuries all season, and the addition of COVID has also impacted Washington. With all that, they still managed to nearly take down one of the best teams in the NBA. If they can have a similar performance on Monday then the Hornets are in trouble.
The Wizards had the lead going into the fourth quarter, however Chicago was able to pull ahead at the last minute and steal the win. Washington played a better game than Chicago but ended up losing to ANOTHER DeRozan buzzer beater. The Wizards had the edge in field goals, assists, steals, and turnovers, yet they still came up short. Where Washington allowed Chicago to make up ground was in three pointers. The Bulls took 7 more threes and made 11 more than the Wizards. This discrepancy is what allowed for the Bulls to stay in the game and ultimately win. If Washington wants to win these tough games they need to limit threes and shoot their own at a higher percentage.
While COVID is affecting every team in the league, it is doing so to various degrees. The Wizards have been devastated, they currently have 8 players in the league's health and safety protocols. Most notably, Montrezl Harrell and Spencer Dinwiddie will both be out for Monday's contest. COVID has forced the Wizards to lean heavily on their best available players, and they have done a decent job. The fact that they were able to compete with a nearly healthy Bulls team is a very encouraging sign. Fans should feel optimistic about this match up.
Final Hornets-Wizards Prediction & Pick
This should be a good game. The Hornets were just embarrassed and will be looking to flip the script. Washington just lost to a buzzer beater and will also be looking for revenge. Both of these teams are competitive and this game could come down to the wire. With COVID in play, the Hornets have the edge here. While they didn't show up in their last game, a mostly healthy Hornets roster should be able to take down a crippled Wizards team. Pick Charlotte to win and cover.
FINAL HORNETS-WIZARDS PICK: Charlotte Hornets +1.5 (-110)
FINAL HORNETS-WIZARDS SCORE PREDICTION: Hornets 120 – Wizards 116
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