The Oklahoma City Thunder (24-5) travel to face off against the Charlotte Hornets (7-23) on Saturday, December 28th. This game will be played at Spectrum Center in Charlotte and televised on NBA. The Thunder are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Hornets are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Hornets. Tip-off is set for 6:00 ET.

Thunder vs Hornets

The Thunder Are Coming Off A Win

The Thunder improved to 24-5 on the season with a 120-114 win over the Pacers on Thursday. Oklahoma City covered the -5.5 point spread, and the game’s total of 234 points went over the line of 227.5.

After falling behind 12-0 early, the Thunder responded by outscoring the Pacers 34-32 in the 2nd quarter. They took control in the 2nd half, winning the 3rd quarter 30-23 and the 4th quarter 37-30.

The Hornets Are Coming Off A Win

The Hornets fell to 7-23 after a 113-110 road loss to the Wizards on Thursday. Charlotte, favored by 4.5 points, not only lost but also failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 223, falling short of the 229.5 O/U line.

Charlotte struggled early, trailing 68-54 at halftime. They mounted a comeback, holding Washington to 17 points in the 4th quarter while going on a 10-0 run to extend their lead from 100-99 to 110-99, but ultimately couldn’t hold on for the win.

Thunder Offense Breakdown

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the star for the Thunder in their win over the Pacers, scoring 45 points, including 16 in both the 2nd and 4th quarters. He shot 68.2% from the field and hit 4 threes at an 80% rate.

Jalen Williams added 20 points, and Luguentz Dort chipped in 13, with 7 of those coming in the 3rd quarter. The Thunder hit 13 threes at 35.1% and finished with a 46.3% overall shooting percentage.

Hornets Offense Breakdown

LaMelo Ball led the Hornets with 31 points and 6 assists in their 113-110 loss to the Wizards, scoring 14 points in the 3rd quarter. Miles Bridges added 22 points and 14 rebounds, with 10 points coming in the 1st quarter.

Brandon Miller hit 4 threes and finished with 18 points, while Mark Williams contributed 16 points. The Hornets made 17 threes, shooting 40.5% from deep and 43.6% overall.

Thunder Team Defense

Despite giving up 114 points, the Thunder’s defense did enough to secure a win over the Pacers. Their best defensive effort came in the 3rd quarter, where they held Indiana to 23 points. Overall, the Pacers shot 47% from the field.

From beyond the arc, the Thunder allowed 14 made threes on 38% shooting. Indiana also went 16/22 from the free-throw line. Oklahoma City finished with 36 defensive rebounds, gave up 11 offensive boards, and recorded 4 steals and 4 blocks.

Hornets Team Defense

The Thunder gave up 114 points to the Pacers on Thursday but still managed to come away with the win. Their best defensive effort came in the 3rd quarter, where they allowed just 23 points. Overall, Oklahoma City let Indiana shoot 47% from the field.

From beyond the arc, the Pacers hit 14 threes at a 38% clip. The Thunder sent Indiana to the line 22 times, where they made 16 free throws. Oklahoma City finished with 36 defensive rebounds, gave up 11 offensive boards, and recorded 4 steals and 4 blocks.

Thunder vs Hornets Trends

• Oklahoma City has played well in their previous three road games, going 3-0 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 109 points per game while allowing 103. The team also performed well vs the spread at 2-1.
• Through their last three home contests, the Hornets offense has averaged 107 points per game while allowing an average of 114. Charlotte posted an overall record of 0-3 while going 1-2 ATS.
• Looking back on the team’s last three games as the underdog, the Hornets have a straight up record of 0-3. Their record vs the spread in these games was 1-2.
• Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the Thunder have a straight up record of 9-1. But, their mark vs the spread was just 7-2-1.

Thunder vs Hornets Prediction

Coming in as the underdogs at +12.5, we have the Hornets as the way to go on the point spread. Not only do we have them covering, but our projections show they have a good one of winning this one straight-up, if you’re looking for a higher payout on the moneyline.

Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 218.5, and our model predicts the Thunder and Hornets to score a combined 231 points. We recommend betting on the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.