Charlotte Hornets at Los Angeles Lakers odds, picks and predictions
The Charlotte Hornets (7-21) face the Los Angeles Lakers (16-15) on Thursday at Crypto.com Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET. Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's lines around the Hornets vs. Lakers odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions.
Season series: First meeting; split last season 1-1
The Hornets managed to cover as 11-point road underdogs and the Under of 227 connected in their 113-104 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday. Charlotte is on an 8-game losing streak, and it has failed to record a win on the road in December thus far.
The Lakers suffered a 126-115 loss to the Boston Celtics on Monday, failing to cover as 5-point home underdogs while the Over of 235.5 cleared. Los Angeles has lost 5 of its last 6 games despite F LeBron James leading the team in points (25.4) and assists (7.3) per game at nearly 39 years old.
Hornets at Lakers odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access Paste BN Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:12 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Hornets +550 (bet $100 to win $550) | Lakers -800 (bet $800 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Hornets +12.5 (-110) | Lakers -12.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 227.5 (O: -105 | U: -115)
Hornets at Lakers key injuries
Hornets
- G LaMelo Ball (ankle) out
- F Gordon Hayward (calf) out
- F Brandon Miller (ankle) questionable
- C Mark Williams (back) doubtful
Lakers
- C Anthony Davis (ankle) questionable
- F Rui Hachimura (nose) available
- F LeBron James (knee) questionable
- F Cam Reddish (groin) questionable
- F Jarred Vanderbilt (heel) probable
- G Gabe Vincent (knee) out
For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.
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Hornets at Lakers picks and predictions
Prediction
Lakers 121, Hornets 106
Moneyline
Wagering on a team at -800 odds is never advised and it's not like the Lakers have shown that you can back them with confidence anyways recently. Taking that into account, I would AVOID the moneyline in this matchup.
Against the spread
LAKERS -12.5 (-110) is a massive spread, but the Hornets are extremely shorthanded. Assuming Davis and James are active for the Lakers, they should have no issue scoring in the paint if Williams is ruled out for the Hornets.
The Hornets allow the 7th-most points in the paint (53.4) per game. While neither team has been great at covering the spread, the Lakers are 7-2 ATS in the last 9 meetings.
Over/Under
UNDER 227.5 (-115) is the lean as it is tough to expect the Hornets to produce many points in this contest. While this is a pace-up game for Charlotte, Los Angeles is still 11th in defensive rating.
The Hornets have tallied 107 or fewer points in 7 of their last 10 games overall. On top of that, the Lakers are 4-9 to the Over at home this season.
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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