Wizards vs Hornets Prediction

Charlotte Hornets (2-4) vs Washington Wizards (1-5)

Game Info: Wednesday, November 8, 2023 at 7:00 pm (Spectrum Center)

Betting Odds: Charlotte Hornets -3.5 -- Over/Under: 240

The Washington Wizards and the Charlotte Hornets collide at the Spectrum Center on Wednesday night.

Washington Wizards

The Washington Wizards have really struggled so far this season as they've lost five of their first six games and they will be hoping to avoid a fifth straight defeat after getting thrashed by the 76ers in a 146-128 road loss on Monday. Kyle Kuzma led the team with 28 points, six rebounds and four assists, Jordan Poole added 23 points with six assists while Deni Avdija chipped in with 16 points and six assists. As a team, the Wizards shot 51 percent from the field and 14 of 34 from the 3-point line which are solid offensive numbers, but they were poor on the defensive end and trailed in this one by as many as 27 points in the third quarter.

Washington Wizards Player Facts

• Jordan Poole ranks 5th in the Eastern Conference amongst qualified players for steals per game (1.7) this season.
• Kyle Kuzma ranks 9th in the Eastern Conference amongst qualified players for points per game (23.7) this season.

Charlotte Hornets

Meanwhile, the Charlotte Hornets have yet to find their groove as they've lost four of their last five games and they will be looking to bounce back after falling short to the Mavericks in a 124-116 road loss on Sunday. LaMelo Ball led the team with a triple-double of 30 points iwth 10 rebounds and 13 assists, PJ Washington and Gordon Hayward each scored 20 points while Mark Williams tallied 19 points with 10 rebounds on eight of eight shooting. As a team, the Hornets shot 49 percent from the field and just eight of 30 from the 3-point line as they looked to be in control of the first half where they built a 15-point lead. However, as has been the case this season, the Hornets leaked 74 points in the second half to allow the Mavericks to run them down with time to spare.

Charlotte Hornets Player Facts

• Mark Williams ranks 1st amongst qualified players for FG% (81.0%) this season.
• LaMelo Ball ranks 3rd amongst qualified players for assists per game (9.3) this season.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Hornets rank 30th in the league for three-point field goals made per game this season (8.8).
• The Hornets rank 30th in the league for three-point field goal attempts per game this season (28.8).
• The Wizards rank 30th in the league for opponent points per game this season (128.7).
• The Wizards rank 30th in the league for point differential per game this season (-11.5).

Peter's Pick

You really couldn't back either team with much confidence given how pooly they've been playing so far. The Wizards' experiment with Jordan Poole hasn't look good so far and they're not any better on the defensive end, while the Hornets haven't been as bad, but they will be nursing their wounds after blowing a 15-point lead against the Mavericks in their last outing. This is a game I'd rather stay away from, but if I had to choose, I'd rather side with the Hornets who were good enough to hang with the red-hot Mavericks on Sunday.

The pick in this article is the opinion of the writer, not a PickDawgz site consensus.