The Charlotte Hornets will take on the Atlanta Hawks to help kick off the NBA postseason. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Hornets-Hawks prediction and pick for Wednesday night's play-in game.
This game has the potential to be an absolute barn burner. The Hornets are one of the most entertaining young teams in the NBA, led by point guard LaMelo Ball. Now they face off with another star point guard in Trae Young of the Hawks in a win-or-go-home situation. This should easily be the most entertaining matchup of the play-in tournament, so let's get straight into the pick.
Here are the Hornets-Hawks NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Hornets-Hawks Odds
Charlotte Hornets: +5 (-114)
Atlanta Hawks: -5 (-106)
Over: 236.5 (-110)
Under: 236.5 (-110)
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Why The Hornets Could Cover The Spread
The Hornets' offense should have absolutely no trouble scoring in this game. Charlotte was one of the better offenses in the NBA this season, averaging 115 points per game on solid shooting numbers. They also shot the third-most field goals per game while scoring 16 points per game in transition, the second-best number in the league. Atlanta has been awful on defense, allowing 112 points per game on 47% shooting to their opponents. The Hawks are also a below-average team at defending the fast break, making this a prime matchup for this explosive Hornets offense led by LaMelo Ball.
Charlotte was one of the best teams at covering the spread throughout the regular season. The Hornets were 45-35-2 ATS, with a 23-17-1 record as the road team and a 27-23-2 mark as underdogs. Head coach James Borrego's squad has shown the ability to cover in games like this one, making the Hornets a somewhat appealing underdog pick.
Why The Hawks Could Cover The Spread
Atlanta's offense should have similar success in this game. The Hawks averaged a whopping 114 points per game throughout the regular season on 47% shooting from the field, numbers that should be more than good enough to score on an abysmal Charlotte defense. The Hornets allowed their opponents to shoot nearly 47% from the field while giving up the third-most 3-pointers per game. Atlanta shot 37% from beyond the arc in the regular season, so this is clearly a pretty solid matchup for a good Hawks offense.
While the Hornets have been good against the spread this season, Atlanta has also been solid at covering in games like this one. The Hawks are 23-18 against the spread when they play at home, and they also own a 27-24 record when they enter the game as a favorite. Making Atlanta even more appealing is a 19-15 record ATS as home favorites. This looks like a decent spot to take the Hawks to defend their home floor, especially given how good they have been at home over the latter stages of the season after a sluggish start.
Final Hornets-Hawks Prediction & Pick
Neither side of the spread looks particularly appealing. Instead of taking either side, the over is the best pick on the board. Both teams are explosive on offense, and Charlotte's fast-paced style should lend itself to plenty of points being scored. Lock in the over and don't look back in this exciting matchup between two superstar point guards.
Final Hornets-Hawks Prediction & Pick: Over: 236.5 (-110)
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