Charlotte Hornets vs. Los Angeles Lakers Prediction, Preview, and Odds

The Charlotte Hornets (7-21; 12-16 ATS) opened a six-game road trip last Tuesday. They lost at the Los Angeles Clippers 113-104, covering an 11.5-point spread. The Hornets had a seven-point lead with 9:29 remaining in the fourth quarter but couldn’t hold on. 

The Clippers shut down the Hornets down the stretch, and Charlotte finished the game with just six 3-pointers out of 29 attempts from deep. The Hornets outscored the Clippers 62-42 in the paint, but it wasn’t enough. Miles Bridges led the way with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists, while Nick Richards double-doubled with 13 points and 10 boards. 

The Hornets are 26th in the league in adjusted offensive efficiency (111.1 points per 100 possessions) and 29th in adjusted defensive efficiency (121.6). They miss LaMelo Ball (ankle), Frank Ntilikina (leg), and Mark Williams (back), while Gordon Hayward (calf) and Brandon Miller (ankle) are both questionable to play Thursday against the Lakers. 

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The Los Angeles Lakers (16-15; 13-18 ATS) are coming off Monday’s 126-115 home defeat to the Boston Celtics. It was their fifth loss in six games, and the Lakers fell to the ninth spot in the Western Conference. 

The Lakers made 47.8% of their field goals last Monday. They went 13-for-32 from beyond the arc but couldn’t make the stops against one of the best teams in the league. The Celtics made 50.5% of their field goals (13-for-42 from deep) and handed out 31 assists while turning the ball over just eight times. Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 40 points and 13 rebounds, and LeBron James added 16 points, nine boards, and eight assists. 

The Lakers rank 24th in the NBA in adjusted offensive efficiency (112.9) and ninth in adjusted defensive efficiency (113.4). They cannot count on Gabe Vincent (knee), but all the other players should be ready to go Thursday. 

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Best Bets for this Game

Insiders Status:

The Lakers like to pick up the pace (100.4 possessions per 48 minutes, 9th in the NBA), so I’m expecting the Hornets (98.8, 17th) to try to slow things down whenever they can. Neither side leans on 3-point shooting a lot, so I’m going with the under. The Hornets are 26th in the league in 3-point attempts per 100 possessions (31.4), and the Lakers are 28th in this category (30.3). 

The total has gone under in six of the Hornets’ last seven games overall. Also, the under is 9-1 in the Lakers’ last ten outings on the home court. Los Angeles has allowed 104 or fewer points in six of its previous eight home contests. 

Prediction: Go under 228.5 points (-110)