Charlotte Hornets Vs. Utah Jazz: Predictions, Starting Lineups (2/22/24)
In their first post-All-Star break game, the new-look Charlotte Hornets will travel due west for a non-conference matchup with the Utah Jazz. Find our Charlotte Hornets vs. Utah Jazz prediction, betting picks, and in-depth game preview below to see if they can steal a road win despite still being without LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams!
Charlotte Hornets Vs. Utah Jazz Prediction
As alluded to above, the Charlotte Hornets made a few moves at the trade deadline that might seem relatively inconsequential on the surface but have already yielded interesting results. One such move was trading Gordon Hayward to the Okahoma City Thunder for Tre Mann, Davis Bertans, and Vasilije Micic.
In their first three games for the Hornets, Mann, Bertans, and Micic have helped the team put together a 3-0 record, including wins against the Memphis Grizzlies, Atlanta Hawks, and Indiana Pacers. While these are not elite opponents, neither is the Utah Jazz, a team that is in 11th place in the Western Conference.
After a short spurt of wins in January, Utah has negatively regressed with four consecutive losses. The Jazz have also lost four of their past six home games, which is hardly a good sign for the remainder of their 2023-24 campaign. Utah has an obvious size advantage in the frontcourt and has a more talented roster overall. However, the Hornets only need to lose by single-digits for us to cash here. We never feel great about backing Charlotte, but this is about as good as we can feel.
Charlotte Hornets Vs. Utah Jazz Prediction: Charlotte Hornets +9.5 (-110)
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Charlotte Hornets Vs. Utah Jazz Best Odds
The Charlotte Hornets enter this game against the Jazz as 9.5-point road underdogs. Utah has Moneyline odds of -440 to secure the home win against one of the worst teams in the NBA, while Charlotte is +340 to sneak away with just its sixth road win of the season. The point total for this matchup rests around 228.5 points, with the Over and the Under holding -110 odds.
Charlotte Hornets Starting Lineup
PG: Tre Mann
SG: Cody Martin
SF: Brandon Miller
PF: Miles Bridges
C: Nick Richards
Utah Jazz Starting Lineup
PG: Collin Sexton
SG: Keyonte George
SF: Lauri Markkanen
PF: John Collins
C: Walker Kessler
Charlotte Hornets Vs. Utah Jazz Injuries
The Hornets will have two of their key players sidelined due to injury: Mark Williams (back) and LaMelo Ball (ankle.) Ball and Williams have missed substantial time this season and might not return before the end of the 2023-24 campaign, as the potential cons of returning and risking a re-injury largely outweigh bringing them back for a team that has no shot at making the playoffs at this point.
Conversely, the Utah Jazz are finally at full health, save Otto Porter Jr., who might already be headed for a buyout with the organization.
North Carolina Sports Betting Update
Everything continues to be trending in the right direction for North Carolina sports betting, which is set to launch on March 11th, a handful of days before the start of March Madness! And there are several North Carolina teams that should be in the NCAA Tournament, including UNC, Duke, Wake Forest, and N.C. State!
This week was another strong step towards a successful launch, as the proposed compliance forms, legislative oversight, and gaming enterprise agreement were all approved by the North Carolina State Lottery Commission.
There are eight applicants who are hoping to be approved for a license to operate, including ESPN Bet, DraftKings, Caesars, Bet365, Fanatics, FanDuel, BetMGM, and Underdog. Here are three sportsbooks that we have reviewed and rated, which includes the projected first-time user promotions: DraftKings North Carolina, Bet365 North Carolina, and FanDuel North Carolina.
