Charlotte Hornets vs. Detroit Pistons Prediction, Preview, and Odds

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A pair of struggling Eastern Conference teams take the floor hoping to earn a rare victory as they do battle in the Motor City. The Charlotte Hornets are on the road as they make the trip to take on the Detroit Pistons Wednesday night. Charlotte comes in off a 128-125 road win over Minnesota in their previous game Monday night, winning outright as a 14-point underdog. Detroit was knocked off 122-113 at home by Milwaukee Monday night, covering the line as a 12-point underdog, in their previous contest. In the all-time regular season series between the teams, the Hornets own a 64-62 advantage but it was the Pistons taking a 111-99 road win in the first matchup this season on October 27, 2023.

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Charlotte Hornets Looking to Earn Second Straight Victory

Charlotte won for the second time in three games as they withstood a massive offensive showing by the Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns to win on the road Monday night. The Hornets dropped to 10-31 on the season and stood fourth in the Southeast Division standings, 13 games behind the Heat for the top spot. They were 13 in the Eastern Conference, 13 games behind the Heat for the final guaranteed playoff spot and seven games behind Atlanta for the final spot in the play-in field. Against Minnesota, Charlotte trailed by two after the opening quarter, by five at the half and by 15 after three quarters before rallying. The Hornets outscored the Timberwolves 36-18 in the fourth quarter to earn the victory. Charlotte shot 56.8% from the floor, including 14 of 37 from beyond the arc, and overcame the Timberwolves shooting 52.4% in the game. Miles Bridges led the Hornets with 28 points in the win. On Tuesday, Charlotte dealt Terry Rozier to the Heat for Kyle Lowry and a protected first-round pick in 2027.

On the season, the Hornets are 28 in the league in scoring offense with 108.8 points per game. Charlotte is 27 in the league in rebounding as they collect 41.3 boards per contest and 24 in assists with 24.9 dimes per contest. The Hornets are 24 in scoring defense as they allow an average of 119.9 points per game. Gordon Hayward (14.5 points, 4.7 boards, 4.6 assists), LaMelo Ball (24.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 8.1 assists), Miles Bridges (20.9 points, seven rebounds), P.J. Washington (12.7 points) and Brandon Miller (14.9 points, 3.9 rebounds) are solid contributors on the offensive end of the floor. Mark Williams (12.7 points, 9.7 rebounds), Theo Maledon, Kyle Lowry, JT Thor, Cody Martin and Nick Richards are looked to provide rotational depth for the Hornets. Charlotte is 26 in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 45.9% from the field as a team. The Hornets are 24 in threes per game with 11.8 per contest and 20 in three-point field goal percentage by shooting 35.9% from beyond the arc.

Williams (back) remains out indefinitely after last taking the floor on December 8 while Hayward (calf) last played on December 26 and is slated to be out until early February. Richards (ankle) last played on January 17 while Martin (knee) missed Monday’s contest. Both players are questionable so watch for any updates on their status heading into this contest.

Detroit Pistons Hoping for Rare Victory

Detroit lost their third straight as they were knocked off by the Bucks at home in their previous contest Monday night. The Pistons dropped to 4-39 on the season and stood last in the Central Division, 26 games behind the Bucks for the top spot in the division. They were 20 games behind the Heat for the final guaranteed playoff spot and 14 games behind the Hawks for the final spot in the play-in tournament. Against Milwaukee, Detroit hung tough as the game was tied after one quarter, trailed by two at the half and by four after three quarters. The Pistons led by two with 5:52 to play before giving up a 15-4 run the rest of the way to take the loss. Detroit shot 44.9% from the field, including 10 of 30 from three-point range, and lost the rebounding battle 49-42 in the game. Marcus Sasser led the Pistons with 23 points in the loss.

— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) January 23, 2024

On the year, the Pistons are 24 in the league in scoring offense as they average 112.4 points a game. Detroit is 19 in rebounding with an average of 43.3 boards per contest and 14 in assists by dishing out 26.4 dimes a night. The Pistons are 28 in the league in scoring defense as they give up an average of 123 points per contest. Cade Cunningham leads the way offensively for the Pistons with 22.8 points plus 7.3 assists per game. Bojan Bogdanovic (19.5 points), Jalen Duren (14 points, 11.5 rebounds), Alec Burks (12.6 points) and Isaiah Stewart (11 points, 6.9 boards) have been decent secondary options. Jaden Ivey (14.4 points), Killian Hayes, Ausar Thompson, Marcus Sasser and Joe Harris are looked at to be contributors for coach Monty Williams. Detroit is 16 in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 47.2% from the floor as a team. The Pistons are 29 in the league in threes per game as they hit 10.9 triples per contest while they are 27 in three-point percentage as they connect on 35.2% of their attempts from beyond the arc.

Monte Morris (quad) remains out and is expected to be out until late January. Cunningham (knee) was injured January 7 and is expected to be out until late January. Both are considered probable here but watch for any setbacks.

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Best Bets for this Game

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Charlotte has gone over the mark in 21 of their 41 games this season entering Tuesday night. The Hornets stand 20th in the league in turnovers with an average of 14 per contest while they stand 21st in the league in pace as they average 98.2 possessions a night. Detroit enters this game having stayed gone over the total in 27 of their 43 games, with one push, this season. The Pistons are second to last in the league in turnovers per game (15.7) and stand 6th in tempo with an average of 100.7 possessions per contest. We’ve seen the under hit in each of the last four meetings and with the Hornets missing pieces plus the dealing of Rozier, this game likely falls short as well.

Prediction: Detroit Pistons -1

Chris King has been immersed in the world of professional and collegiate sports for more than three decades. Whether it's playing pickup games or being involved in organized sports to being a fan, he's checked all the boxes. From the NFL to arena football, the NHL to the KHL, the NBA to the WNBA to college hoops, and even MLB to the KBO.  If it's out there, he's covered it and bet on it as well, as Chris has been an expert bettor in his career.  Before joining Winners and Whiners back in 2015, his work appeared around the internet and in print. He's written books for Ruckus Books about college basketball, the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, golf, and the World Cup. If you're looking for the inside track on hitting a winner, do yourself a favor and read what Chris has to say.