Los Angeles Lakers vs Charlotte Hornets Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 28/12/2023, 07:45  by Devesh Jaganath in NBA Predictions

The Los Angeles Lakers will face off against the Charlotte Hornets at Crypto.com Arena in the NBA on Thursday night. The hosts are 16-15 and ninth in the Western Conference, while the visitors are 7-21 and 13th in the Eastern Conference. 

The Charlotte Hornets are going through a tough stretch, losing 10 of their last 11 games, and they are hoping to break an eight-game slide after a 113-104 road defeat against the Clippers on Tuesday. Miles Bridges led the team with an impressive performance, recording 21 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists. Offensively, the Hornets rank 26th in the NBA, averaging 110.2 points per game, while LA are the 16th-ranked defense, allowing 114.6 points per game. Defensively, the Hornets have struggled, giving up 120.6 points per outing, which places them 25th in the league. Charlotte are dealing with several injuries, with Gordon Hayward, Mark Williams, and Brandon Miller listed as questionable. LaMelo Ball and Frank Ntilikina are both out indefinitely.

Meanwhile, The Los Angeles Lakers have now lost six of their last nine games and will be hoping to bounce back after a 126-115 loss to the Celtics on Monday. Anthony Davis had another outstanding performance, leading the team with 40 points, 13 rebounds, and four assists on 15 of 26 shooting. Offensively, the Lakers are averaging 114.1 points per game, which is 6.5 fewer points than the Hornets typically give up (120.6). Defensively, the Lakers allow 114.6 points per game, ranking them 16th in the league. Interestingly, during the 2023-24 season, the Lakers are scoring 0.8 more points per home game on average than on the road (114.5 at home, 113.7 on the road). In addition, they are conceding a significant 13.4 fewer points per home game compared to road games (107.2 at home, 120.6 on the road). While the Lakers have several players listed as doubts, only Gabe Vincent is confirmed out.