Charlotte Hornets vs Philadelphia 76ers Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 20/01/2024, 06:26  by Joseph King | Modified on 20/01/2024 at 06:26 in NBA Predictions

The 9-30 Charlotte Hornets will look for two straight wins for only the second time this season when they host the 27-13 Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday. Charlotte earned a 124-120 victory over the San Antonio Spurs last night, snapping a six-game losing streak. The Hornets sit 13th in the Eastern Conference in what has been a difficult first half of the season. They can win back-to-back games here for the first time since November but will face a stiff challenge in the form of the 76ers. Charlotte will have home court advantage on their side as they have a 5-13 record at the Spectrum Center compared to a 4-17 record when playing on the road. The Hornets have struggled immensely on the defensive side of the ball where they rank 30th in adjusted defensive rating and are giving up 120.4 average opponent points per game.

The Sixers come to town looking for their fifth straight victory as they try to chase down the second-place Bucks who they trail by half a game in the standings. Philadelphia are third in the Eastern Conference as things currently stand, trailing the first-place Celtics by four games. Joel Embiid and company ran out 124-109 winners away from home against the Orlando Magic in their last game, a difficult place to get a win with the Magic’s tough defense. Embiid put up 36 points despite not even playing in the fourth quarter. It was the reigning MVP’s 19th straight game with at least 30 points, a 76ers franchise record. Embiid will likely be relishing coming up against this poor Hornets defense as he looks to increase his lead in the top scorer department where he is currently averaging 35.1 points per game.