Atlanta Hawks vs Charlotte Hornets Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 22/03/2024, 21:04  by Joseph King | Modified on 23/03/2024 at 01:11 in NBA Predictions

The Atlanta Hawks will look to snap out of a nasty stretch of form when they host the similarly struggling Charlotte Hornets on Saturday. Atlanta sits 10th in the Eastern Conference with a 30-39 record while the Hornets are down in 13th with only 17 wins and 52 defeats on the year.

A 128-115 loss to Phoenix on Thursday represented the Hawks’ fifth loss in their last six appearances. Despite the dip in results, Atlanta is still well-positioned to secure the final play-in tournament spot as they hold a 4.5 game lead over the 11th-placed Nets. They’ll have to make do without star player Trae Young here as the three-time All-Star continues to recover from surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left hand. Not only that, Atlanta will be without no fewer than five other players as they currently battle the injury bug. Atlanta’s weakness this season has been their defense which ranks second-worst in the NBA at 121.2 average points allowed. Only the Washington Wizards rank worst in this respect.

Charlotte ranks as the second worst offensive team in the NBA at only 106.6 points scored per game. It’s been an extremely difficult month for the Hornets who are averaging under 100 points (98.1) in the past 30 days, managing just three wins from 14 games played during that time. Their most recent appearance resulted in a 112-92 blowout loss to the Magic away from home on Tuesday. It was the third straight defeat for the team and the third straight game that they had failed to crack the 100-point mark. Unlike their opponents today who excel in offense despite a poor defensive record, Charlotte is near the bottom of the league statistically on both sides of the ball. In fact, the Hornets currently rank dead-last in adjusted net rating at -10.3 with the next lowest being Washington at -9.0.