Nets vs Hornets Picks, Predictions & Odds Tonight

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09 March 2024

Nets vs Hornets Picks, Predictions & Odds Tonight

Mikal Bridges is going to have to shoulder a large scoring load tonight for the Nets, and against a questionable Hornets defense, our NBA picks think he won't have much of a hard time.

As the Charlotte Hornets continue to tumble down the standings in the East, the team could find itself grasping at straws with a Brooklyn Nets team hoping to qualify for the NBA Play-In Tournament coming to town.

While the Nets haven’t been anything to write home about this season, the NBA odds have them favored by 6.5 on the road with Charlotte still being down several key players, including LaMelo Ball.

Find out where my best bets lie in our NBA picks and predictions for Nets vs. Hornets on Saturday, March 9.

Nets vs Hornets odds

Nets vs Hornets predictions

The Charlotte Hornets won’t just be without star LaMelo Ball for the 21st straight game, but Steve Clifford’s squad is also down Seth Curry, Mark Williams, Cody Martin, and could be missing Tre Mann, too.

With so many injuries impacting an already struggling team, the Brooklyn Nets are in a perfect position to take advantage and do some damage to the Hornets’ struggling defense. Brooklyn will be without Cam Johnson and may be missing Cam Thomas as well, and that opens the door for Mikal Bridges to have a big night.

Bridges is tied with Thomas for a team-leading 20.9 points per game this season, a career-high, and is second on the team with 16.6 field goals per game while shooting the most threes on the squad, seven per game.

His versatile scoring skill set matches up well with a Hornets defense that’s been one of the worst in the NBA this year. Charlotte is third-last in defensive rating (119.8) and allowing 117.6 points per game this season.

Not only is Charlotte allowing the fifth-highest three-point percentage in the NBA (37.9%), but teams are hitting 49.5% from the floor against this defense and 57.4% from two, both third-last in the league. It’s an all-around bad shot defending unit and hasn’t had much success against small forwards like Bridges.

Against small forwards this season, the Hornets are allowing the sixth-most points per game in the NBA (22.5) and with Bridges frequency to pull from three, he should be able to cross into the 20-point range. He leads the Nets with 2.5 made threes per game and is shooting a solid 35.8% from deep.

The opportunities will certainly be there for Bridges, who plays the most minutes per game on the team this season by a large margin (35.3 to Thomas’ 29.8). While Thomas does lead the Nets in usage rate, Bridges is second on the team at 24.8% and accounts for 25.5% of the Nets points while on the court this season.

If Thomas is out, it should only make Bridges’ ability to get to hang points that much easier. He can capitalize on Charlotte’s poor perimeter defense and have his 36th game of at least 20 points this season.

Given Bridges' recent slump, shooting 37.6% from the field for the last 10 games, his point total for this game is surprisingly low and worth taking advantage of at -105. Charlotte’s defensive issues pose the perfect situation for Bridges to return to form.

In two previous matchups against the Hornets this season, Bridges finished with 24 and 22 points, respectively.

My best bet: Mikal Bridges Over 19.5 points (-105 at bet365)

Nets vs Hornets same-game parlay

Bridges Over 19.5 points

Nicolas Claxton double-double

Miles Bridges Under 2.5 threes made

On paper, Bridges has one of the best matchups on the Nets roster against the Hornets, but Nicolas Claxton may have an even better one. The Hornets are allowing the third-most points in the NBA to centers this season (25.24) and the second-most rebounds (16.56).

That sets Claxton up well to have a strong night and finish with a double-double. The Nets big man is averaging 12.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game this season and has had a double-double in three of his last four games. In 53 games, he’s finished with a double-double 23 times and had 20 points and 14 rebounds the last time he played the Hornets this season.

Unlike Claxton, Miles Bridges doesn’t match up as well in this game. The Hornets’ second-leading scorer has been averaging 2.4 threes per game this season and shooting a respectable 36% from deep, but the Nets play surprisingly solid perimeter defence.

Opponents are shooting just 34.7 threes against Brooklyn this season and hitting 13.2 of them. Bridges not being the most frequent 3-point shooter may look to take advantage of the Nets in different ways. He’s also gone just 2-for-19 from three in his last three games.

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Nets vs Hornets spread and Over/Under analysis

Given the Charlotte Hornets struggles this season, the Brooklyn Nets opened as 5.5 to 6.5-point road favorites with most books settling in at 6.5. These are two of the worst teams in the NBA ATS this season.

Charlotte has the second worst record in the league ATS at 25-38, but has managed to cover in nine of its last 15 games. Brooklyn’s record ATS is only slightly better at 28-32-3, and it's been solid as of late going 4-3 ATS. The Hornets covered the 9-point spread in the previous matchup between these two teams.

Neither of these teams is known for its scoring prowess, which is why the game total opened between 212.5 and 215.5 and continues to drop. Most books are now offering the total no higher than 207.5.

Both teams have been a solid Under bet this season with the Nets 33-29-1 and the Hornets 34-29. While Brooklyn has hit the Over in its last three, its 10-5 betting the Under in its last 15. The Hornets have been an even better Under bet as of late, going 10-1 betting the Under in its last 11.