Los Angeles Lakers Vs. Charlotte Hornets: Predictions, Starting Lineups (2/5/24)
After stunning the Boston Celtics on their own floor without LeBron James and Anthony Davis and then knocking off the red-hot New York Knicks on the road, the Los Angeles Lakers are turning their attention to the floundering Charlotte Hornets. Can Los Angeles string together a third consecutive road win? Find our Los Angeles Lakers vs. Charlotte Hornets prediction and betting picks below!
Los Angeles Lakers Vs. Charlotte Hornets Prediction
Without Terry Rozier, who was traded to the Miami Heat, and Gordon Hayward, Mark Williams, and LaMelo Ball, who are all sidelined due to injury, the Charlotte Hornets have no firepower whatsoever. The only semblance of offensive talent on this squad is the tandem of Miles Bridges and Bradon Miller, a rookie forward. Miller posted 35 points in Charlotte’s last game against the Pacers, yet the Hornets still failed to eclipse the 100-point mark.
Charlotte has struggled against opposing frontcourts for quite some time, but this year has been extremely challenging with Mark Williams sidelined for several months. The Hornets allow opposing centers to score the most points and pull down the second-most rebounds in the NBA. Further, opposing power forwards score the eighth-most points, which is not much better.
The Hornets are going up against one of the best frontcourts in the NBA (James and Davis), and they also will have to deal with Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell, two players who have been playing at an extremely high level in recent games. Reaves has averaged 27.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists on a 52/54/77 shooting split in his past three games, while Russell has posted 23.7 points in his past 12 games despite struggling a bit in his past three.
Los Angeles has been tremendous on the defensive end of the floor in its past two games, too, giving us even more reason to back it in this spot. The Lakers held Boston and New York, two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, to just 105 points. What do you think will happen if they bring that intensity and sense of urgency to Charlotte? Blowout incoming.
Los Angeles Lakers Vs. Charlotte Hornets Prediction: Lakers -12 (-114)
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Los Angeles Lakers Vs. Charlotte Hornets Best Odds
The Los Angeles Lakers are substantial 12.5-point favorites on Monday night against the Charlotte Hornets. Los Angeles has Moneyline odds of -750 to win outright, while the Hornets are +525 underdogs to grab an unlikely win at home. The point total for this non-conference matchup rests at 226.5 points, with the Over and Under each holding odds of -110.
Los Angeles Lakers Starting Lineup
PG: D’Angelo Russell
SG: Austin Reaves
SF: Taurean Prince
PF: LeBron James
C: Anthony Davis
Charlotte Hornets Starting Lineup
PG: Ish Smith
SG: Cody Martin
SF: Brandon Miller
PF: Miles Bridges
C: Nick Richards
Los Angeles Lakers Vs. Charlotte Hornets Injuries
The Charlotte Hornets will be without Gordon Hayward (calf), LaMelo Ball (ankle), and Mark Williams (back) for at least this game, if not a bit longer. Hayward will likely be traded before he plays another game for the Hornets, so that is something to keep an eye on moving forward. Frank Ntilikina (hip) and Cody Martin (knee) are questionable for this matchup.
Meanwhile, the Lakers will continue to miss Jarred Vanderbilt (foot), Cam Reddish (ankle), and Gabe Vincent (knee.) Vanderbilt recently suffered a foot injury that will likely keep him sidelined for the remainder of the 2023-24 season. Anthony Davis (Achilles) and LeBron James (ankle) are questionable for this matchup; however, the spread indicates that at least one or both of them will play.
North Carolina Sports Betting Update
We are just over one month away from the North Carolina Sports Betting launch, which will take place on March 11th, less than one week before the start of March Madness! The Tar Heel State will have plenty of college teams to bet on for the NCAA Tournament, such as Duke, North Carolina, Wake Forest, and N.C. State. All four of these teams are currently projected to make the tournament!
With the official date for launch being set, it is a great time to read our sportsbook reviews for DraftKings North Carolina, Bet365 North Carolina, and FanDuel North Carolina, which include our experts’ overall ratings, pros and cons, and the projected first-time user promotion for all of them!
