The Charlotte Hornets (8-27) travel to face off against the Los Angeles Lakers (20-16) on Thursday, January 9th. This game will be played at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and televised on SN-LA. The Hornets are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Lakers are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Lakers. Tip-off is set for 10:30 ET.

Hornets vs Lakers

The Hornets Are Coming Off A Win

The Hornets improved to 8-27 on the season with a 115-104 home win over the Suns on Tuesday. Charlotte, who entered the game as +5 point underdogs, not only won but covered the spread. The total points for the game ended at 219, falling short of the 226-point O/U line.

Charlotte took control with a 14-0 run, turning a 40-36 deficit into a 50-40 lead. They dominated the 2nd quarter, outscoring Phoenix 37-17, and held on in the 4th, winning that quarter 27-21 after going into it with an 88-83 lead.

The Lakers Are Coming Off A Win

The Lakers fell to 20-16 on the season after a 118-97 road loss to the Mavericks on Tuesday. Los Angeles, who entered the game as 6.5-point favorites, failed to cover the spread. The total score of 215 points narrowly missed the over/under line of 218.

A pivotal moment came when the Mavericks went on a 13-0 run, extending their lead from 50-47 to 60-50. Dallas outscored the Lakers 31-23 in the 2nd quarter and 34-26 in the 3rd, and the Lakers couldn’t mount a comeback, getting outscored 29-21 in the 4th.

Hornets Offense Breakdown

LaMelo Ball led the Hornets to a win over the Suns, finishing with 32 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists. He hit 5 threes, despite shooting just 31.2% from deep, and scored 13 points in the 3rd quarter.

As a team, the Hornets shot 38.8% from the field and 27.7% from three, making 13 threes overall. Miles Bridges added 21 points, while Nick Richards contributed 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Lakers Offense Breakdown

In their 118-97 loss to the Mavericks, the Lakers’ offense struggled, shooting just 45.3% from the field and 31.4% from three-point range, making only 11 threes. Anthony Davis led the team with 21 points and 12 rebounds, though he shot just 38.9% from the floor.

LeBron James contributed 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists, while Austin Reaves added 15 points, hitting 4 threes at a 36.4% clip. Dalton Knecht scored 10 of his 13 points in the 4th quarter, and Max Christie added 9 of his 12 points in the 2nd quarter.

Hornets Team Defense

Despite a rough 3rd quarter where they gave up 37 points, the Hornets’ defense held the Suns to just 104 points in a win on Tuesday. They were especially strong in the 2nd quarter, allowing only 17 points, and they closed out the game by giving up just 21 points in the 4th.

Charlotte’s defense limited Phoenix to 42% shooting from the field, including just 24% from three-point range, where the Suns made only 8 threes. The Hornets also collected 39 defensive rebounds, gave up 8 offensive boards, and added 9 steals and 5 blocks.

Lakers Team Defense

The Hornets’ defense shined in the 2nd and 4th quarters, giving up just 17 and 21 points, respectively, to help secure the win. They held the Suns to 42% shooting from the field.

Charlotte was particularly effective in defending the three, allowing just 8 made threes on 24% shooting. They also recorded 9 steals and 5 blocks in the game.

Hornets vs Lakers Trends

• When looking at their past ten road matchups, Charlotte has an ATS record of 6-4 while averaging 106 per game. The team went 1-9 overall in these games.
• When looking at their past five home matchups, Los Angeles has an ATS record of 4-1 while averaging 108 per game. The team went 3-2 overall in these games.
• Going back to their previous three games as the underdog, Charlotte has an ATS mark of 3-0 while going 1-2 straight up.
• Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the Lakers have a straight up record of 6-4. But, their mark vs the spread was just 4-6.

Hornets vs Lakers Prediction

The Hornets come in as the underdog at +8, making them our top choice on the point spread. We not only expect them to cover the spread but also believe they have a strong chance of winning the game outright, especially if you’re aiming for a higher moneyline payout.

Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 222.5, and our model predicts the Hornets and Lakers to score a combined 259 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.