Charlotte Hornets vs New Orleans Pelicans Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 15/12/2023, 05:40  by Devesh Jaganath | Modified on 15/12/2023 at 05:41 in NBA Predictions

The New Orleans Pelicans are on the road, heading to the Spectrum Center to face the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night. The hosts are 7-15, 13th in the Eastern Conference, while the visitors are 14-11, ninth in the Western Conference. 

New Orleans are currently on a two-game winning streak, securing victories against Minnesota (121-107) and Washington (142-122). Brandon Ingram delivered a standout performance, scoring 40 points in the latest win. On the road, the Pelicans hold a 5-7 record. In terms of scoring, New Orleans ranks 13th in the league with an average of 114.9 points per game, while their defence places them 18th, allowing 114.2 points per game. However, they struggle from beyond the arc, ranking 27th in the league in three-pointers made per game, with an average of 11 triples. Matt Ryan and Larry Nance Jr. are ruled out for this match, while there's uncertainty about Zion Williamson's availability. 

Meanwhile, Charlotte are holding a 4-8 record at home. They lost their last match 115-104 to the Miami Heat at the Kaseya Center, though Terry Rozier notched up 28 points and seven assists in the match. That defeat followed a narrow loss of 116-114 to the same opponent a few days prior here at the Spectrum Center and marked their fourth loss in five matches. Currently, Charlotte find themselves as one of the joint biggest outsiders to win the NBA title, with odds set at +100000. In terms of performance, the Hornets rank 19th in the league in scoring offence, averaging 113 points per game. Their defence places them 26th, allowing an average of 120.8 points per game, which is 5.9 more than their opponents are putting up. Frank Ntilikina, LaMelo Ball, Mark Williams and Cody Martin are out with injuries.