Charlotte Hornets Vs. Indiana Pacers: Predictions, Starting Lineups (12/20/23)

The Indiana Pacers will try to turn the ship around against Charlotte after dropping five of their past six games. Take a look at our Charlotte Hornets vs. Indiana Pacers prediction, best bets, betting odds, and analysis below!

Charlotte Hornets Vs. Indiana Pacers Prediction

Much like most teams that face the Indiana Pacers after establishing a consistent pace of play, the Charlotte Hornets are due to be shell-shocked. Charlotte is already playing without multiple key players, including LaMelo Ball, Mark Williams, Cody Martin, and Frank Ntilikina, making its bench even thinner than it was before.

Now, the Hornets not only have to play bench players more minutes, but they will also have to sprint up and down the floor the entire game. That is a hassle for most teams at any level and is one of the primary reasons that the Pacers play this way: they are in incredible shape and have exceptional transition talent.

To worsen matters, Indiana shoots the lights out at home, boasting a team shooting split of 50/40/82, which is just shy of what would be considered elite for a single player. That is an entire team that does that. The Pacers’ offensive rating is 122.3 at home, which is also notably impressive.

Meanwhile, Charlotte has lost five consecutive games, including a 53-point loss to the 76ers; the Hornets’ net rating in that span is the second-worst in the NBA, in front of only Detroit, who has two wins on the season.

Back the Pacers at home here; they will turn it around.

Charlotte Hornets Vs. Indiana Pacers Prediction: Pacers -10

Best NBA Betting Promo Codes

Charlotte Hornets Vs. Indiana Pacers Best Odds

Indiana is a massive ten-point home favorite on Wednesday night against the Charlotte Hornets. Charlotte is +340 to record a huge upset against the fully loaded Pacers, while Indiana is a wide favorite to win at -440. The Over/Under holds steady at 248 points, with the Under getting slightly more favorable odds.

Charlotte Hornets Starting Lineup

PG: Terry Rozier
SG: Brandon Miller
SF: Gordon Hayward
PF: Miles Bridges
C: Nick Richards

Indiana Pacers Starting Lineup

PG: Tyrese Haliburton
SG: Bruce Brown
SF: Buddy Hield
PF: Obi Toppin
C: Myles Turner

Charlotte Hornets Vs. Indiana Pacers Injuries

The Indiana Pacers will continue to be without Jalen Smith (heel) and Andrew Nembhard (knee) for a little while longer; however, they are well on their way to returning in the coming weeks. Myles Turner is questionable with a hamstring injury for this game, but we expect him to give it a go. Charlotte will miss Mark Williams (back), LaMelo Ball (ankle), Frank Ntilikina (leg), and Cody Martin (knee), shrinking what was already a thin rotation.

Charlotte Hornets Vs. Indiana Pacers Betting Picks

With Mark Williams (and LaMelo Ball) set to miss another game for the Charlotte Hornets, this team will once again be left shorthanded, particularly on the glass and in the frontcourt. Williams is an excellent rebounder, averaging close to ten rebounds per game, and at 7-foot-2 (with a 7-foot-7 wingspan), he can be a tough opponent to secure rebounds against in the paint.

However, the Hornets now have to rely on Nick Richards, P.J. Washington, and J.T Thor to keep Myles Turner off the glass, which will be an extremely tall task. Turner is not known as an exceptional rebounder, but all of the aforementioned players, save Richards, are undersized. Richards has the height and length, but he is not mobile enough to slow Turner down.

Further, Charlotte allows the third-most rebounds to opposing centers this season, including having Mark Williams (and LaMelo, who is a solid rebounder) in the rotation quite a bit. The Hornets are missing huge pieces offensively, so we can expect them to miss a lot of shots, opening the door for Turner to pull down double-digit rebounds with relative ease.

Best Bets: Myles Turner Over 8.5 Rebounds (+100)