The Oklahoma City Thunder will clash with the Charlotte Hornets as the two teams face off at the Spectrum Center on Thursday night. It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Thunder-Hornets prediction and pick.
The Thunder defeated the San Antonio Spurs 130-114 on Tuesday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 28 points while shooting 9 for 14 from the field. Also, he converted 10 of 11 free throws. Mike Muscala came off the bench to score 19 points on 5 for 8 shooting with six rebounds, while Tre Mann had 17 points, including three conversions from beyond the arc. Significantly, the Thunder finished with 53.3 percent shooting from the field, including 54.2 percent from the triples. A 35-21 fourth-quarter run helped propel them to victory.
The Hornets lost 110-105 to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. LaMelo Ball led the Hornets with 21 points. However, he struggled from the field, shooting 7 for 25, including 2 for 11 from the 3-point line. Mason Plumlee added seven points and 13 rebounds. Meanwhile, Terry Rozier had 19 points while shooting 7 for 8 from the field. Gordon Hayward added 14 points while shooting 6 of 14 from the floor. Ultimately, the Hornets shot 41.3 percent from the field and only 26.3 percent from the 3-point line. Charlotte fell behind by 13 at the half and could not complete the comeback.
The Thunder are 4-6 over their last 10 games. Also, they are 5-11 on the road, including 3-7 over their previous 10 road games. The Hornets are 2-8 over the last 10 games. Additionally, they are 4-11 at the Spectrum Center, including 3-7 over their previous 10 at home. The Thunder and Hornets have split the last 10 games. Conversely, the Hornets have won three in a row, including a season sweep last year.
Here are the Thunder-Hornets NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Thunder-Hornets Odds
Oklahoma City Thunder: +1 (-112)
Charlotte Hornets: -1 (-108)
Over: 239 (-110)
Under: 239 (-110)
Why The Thunder Could Cover The Spread
The Thunder are not a great team. However, they have kept themselves competitive despite actively being in ‘rebuilding mode'. The Thunder are 15-19, and only seven games behind first place.
Alexander is having a career season with 31.5 points per game, 50.5 percent shooting, and 5.8 assists per game. Additionally, Josh Giddey averages 14.6 points per game, 46.2 percent field-goal shooting, and 8.1 rebounds per game. Luguentz Port averages 13.6 points per game with 40.2 percent field-goal shooting percentage, and 4.2 rebounds per game.
The Thunder are a sporadic team. Ultimately, it means they are usually involved in high-scoring games, and their defense has some shortcomings. The Thunder are 22nd in field goal shooting percentage, 18th in 3-point shooting percentage, and 10th in free-throw shooting percentage. Moreover, they are seventh in rebounds and fifth in blocked shots. Oklahoma City also ranks 14th in turnovers.
The Thunder will cover the spread if they can score early and find ways to prevent the Hornets from hitting their shots. Significantly, they must stop Ball from dominating their defense.
Why The Hornets Could Cover The Spread
The Hornets are 9-26 and struggling for air. Moreover, they are falling from the seams despite having three capable scorers who can dominate a game anytime.
Ball averages 23.5 points per game. However, he has struggled to shoot the ball, ranking only 41.7 percent from the floor. Ball also shoots 36.6 percent from the 3-point line. Kelly Oubre Jr. averages 20.6 points per game while shooting 42.4 percent from the field. However, Oubre missed Tuesday's game and likely will not play tonight. Rozier averages 20.3 points per game and is the second option when Ball does not flourish. However, he is inconsistent and not the dominant player the Hornets need him to be. Hayward averages 14.8 points per game but is past his prime and not the dominating force he once was.
The Hornets are struggling to shoot. Substantially, they score a lot, but they also miss plenty of shots. Charlotte is 30th from the field, including 30th from the 3-point line. Moreover, they are 25th from the free-throw line. The Hornets are solid on the boards, ranking fifth in rebounds. Also, they are ninth in turnovers and 11th in blocked shots. Can the Hornets hit their shots to win this game? It starts with Ball, and he must take better shots to give the Hornets a chance to win this game.
The Hornets will cover the spread if they can find better opportunities in open space. Likewise, they must stop Alexander and force the Thunder to go to someone else.
Final Thunder-Hornets Prediction & Pick
Neither team is doing well at the moment. However, the Hornets have dominated this series recently and will look to keep the streak alive. Expect the Hornets to pick up the energy and hit better shots to win this game and cover the odds, earning a rare victory.
Final Thunder-Hornets Prediction & Pick: Charlotte Hornets: -1 (-108)
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