The Charlotte Hornets’ next stop in a punishing five-game West Coast trip is in Los Angeles on Thursday for a matchup against the LA Lakers. Charlotte split the first two games of the road swing heading into its visit to Crypto.com Arena. Collin Sexton is questionable, but LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges and rookie Kon Knueppel are ready to play.
Meanwhile, JJ Redick’s team hopes to build on its 141-116 whipping of the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday. After losing its previous three games, LA bounced back with a convincing win against an emerging Eastern Conference opponent. Austin Reaves remains out, but Luka Doncic and LeBron James are cleared to play.
Hornets vs. Lakers Odds
Moneyline: Charlotte (+144) vs. LA (-213)
Odds: Charlotte +4.5 -122) vs. LA (-4.5 -118)
Total (O/U): Charlotte (o232.5 -120) vs. LA (u232.5 -119)
Editor’s Note: The odds could change closer to the game. The odds listed were as per available information at the time of writing.
Hornets vs. Lakers Preview and Prediction
Preview
Charlotte is 14-26, but it is 3-4 in January, a stretch that included a stunning 124-97 beatdown of the OKC Thunder 10 days ago. The key stats during its three wins are 3-point shooting, rebounding and fastbreak points. During that stretch, LaMelo Ball and Co. hit 43% from deep, averaged 56.7 rebounds and 17.7 transition points per game.
LA allows opponents to hit 37.1% from deep, 24th in the NBA, giving Charlotte a chance to sustain its hot shooting. If the visiting team retains such a scorching-hot display from long range, an upset could happen.
Too often, LA has been in trouble when it gives up too many fastbreak points. Marcus Smart must lead the team’s transition defense to prevent Charlotte’s speedy perimeter players from frolicking in open space.
LA’s opponent has been quite resilient, despite its poor season record. Doncic and his teammates can’t afford to be complacent if they build a big lead early in the game.
Prediction
Expect the LA to defend its home floor against a road-weary opponent. LeBron James and Luka Doncic are starting to play with rhythm. That trend could continue against their opponents’ middling defense.
Hornets vs. Lakers Player Props
There is some pep in LeBron James’ steps, particularly this month. The four-time MVP is averaging 27.7 points per game in January, making it likely for him to top his 23.5 (O/U) points prop.
Brandon Miller’s scoring has dropped this month. From 21.0 ppg in December, he is averaging 17.7 ppg in January. Miller hasn’t topped 19.5 (O/U) in four of six games this month. The struggling forward could fail to top that points prop again on Thursday.
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