The Golden State Warriors have put themselves in a bad spot, relinquishing a big lead in the Western Conference standings and allowing the Rockets to creep back into contention. The Warriors haven't been able to get out of their own way lately, but will the Charlotte Hornets have anything to give? It is time to continue our NBA odds series with a Warriors-Hornets prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
Things were looking bleak for the Warriors on Wednesday night against the Magic. They were already four-point underdogs heading into the game, then Draymond Green, an important piece of the lineup against a team like Orlando, was ejected after two technical fouls in the first four minutes. Steph Curry put the team on his back to will them to a 101-93 victory and stay ahead of the Rockets in the standings. It was their second straight win after beating the Heat on Tuesday night, and they are still one game ahead of Houston. The Warriors need to continue winning, but it's hard not to look ahead to their matchup with the Rockets on April 4th as one of the most important of the season.
It's getting to the difficult point of the season when the league's bottom feeders are just punching the clock to try and get to 82 games. The Hornets' season was over before it started, losing nine of their first 12 games. They had numerous losing streaks throughout the season and have lost six of their last eight.
Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Warriors-Hornets Odds
Golden State Warriors: -11.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -720
Charlotte Hornets: -11.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +520
Over: 216.5 (-110)
Under: 216.5 (-110)
How to Watch Warriors vs. Hornets
Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
TV: Bally Sports SE-CHA, NBC Sports Bay Area
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Warriors Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Hornets had a good game at home on Wednesday, scoring 118 points and beating the Cavaliers 118-111 as 9.5-point underdogs. Before that game, the Hornets' offense had been terrible, failing to score more than 100 points in five straight games. The Hornets periodically put together a good offensive game, but they haven't shown they can do it in consecutive games.
The Warriors maintain their offensive output this season, averaging 114.4 points per game over their last five. Golden State's defense has led them to three wins over their last five games. They rank tenth in the NBA over that span, allowing only 107.6 points per game. The Warriors are doing it with an all-around effort, as they showed on Wednesday when they held Orlando to 93 points without Draymond Green for the last 44 minutes.
Why The Hornets Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Warriors have a bunch of self-inflicted losses, dropping five of their last ten games. It's hard to know which version of the Warriors will show up in this game, and no data supports the Hornets covering the spread. However, if you believe the Warriors will choke away their playoff chances to the Rockets, the Hornets could pull off the upset in this game. The Warriors may be without Green in this game, although it seems like no suspension for his two technical fouls is imminent at the time of this writing.
Final Warriors-Hornets Prediction & Pick
The Hornets' inability to string together good offensive games gives no reason to believe they will handle the Warriors in this matchup. Golden State transitioned to a more defensive style of basketball and is in a good position to shut down the Hornets without Lamelo Ball. The Hornets are averaging 98.2 points per game over their last five games.
The Hornets haven't covered the spread in a loss since March 3rd, a run of eight consecutive games. They've lost by double digits in every game.
Click here for more betting news and predictions
Final Warriors-Hornets Prediction & Pick: Warriors -11.5 (-110)
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