The Charlotte Hornets (3-2) and Washington Wizards (2-3) meet Friday at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET. Let's analyze NBA odds around the Hornets vs. Wizards odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: Hornets lead 1-0 with a 110-103 (Under 225.5) home win Monday as 2.5 favorites
Charlotte lost 97-89 at the Detroit Pistons Wednesday, failing to cover as a 7.5-point underdog as the Under (212.5) cashed. G Brandon Miller, who scored 39 against the Wizards Monday, dropped 31 in the loss. It was his third consecutive 30+ game (he's averaging 25.6), but Miller was basically playing by himself as his only teammate to score over 10 was Dennis Schroder (14). F Naz Reid was inexplicably
benched for the entire second half after putting up 7 points and 6 boards in the first half; the Hornets were outscored 53-38 in that half.
Washington lost 121-111 at the Cleveland Cavaliers Wednesday, failing to cover as a 9.5-point underdog while the Under (240.5) hit. No. 1 overall draft pick F AJ Dybantsa looked good in his NBA debut, finishing with 19 points on 8 of 12 shooting in just 27 minutes of play. The Wizards have lost back-to-back games, losing the battle on the glass by double digits in both losses.
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Hornets at Wizards odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:51 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Hornets -102 (bet $100 to win $102) | Wizards -118 (bet $118 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Hornets +1.5 (-115) | Wizards -1.5 (-105)
- Over/Under (O/U): 220.5 (O: -105 | U: -115)
Hornets at Wizards key injuries
Hornets
- F Kon Knueppel (reconditioning) out
- G Dennis Schroder (foot) questionable
- G Coby White (calf) out
- F Grant Williams (hamstring) out
Wizards
- F Justin Champagnie (foot) out
- G Tre Johnson (achilles) questionable
For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.
Hornets at Wizards picks and predictions
Prediction
Wizards 109, Hornets 105
Moneyline
PASS.
The Wizards will cover here, but it isn't worth backing them on the moneyline for the extra juice at -118 when the odds of this finishing as a 1-point contest are extremely low. Pass here to win more with a smaller buy-in against the spread and/or bet on the total.
Against the spread
BET WIZARDS -1.5 (-105).
Dybantsa adds yet another layer to what was already a difficult-to-guard Wizards team, and this will be a game in which the dynamicism of Washington's offense will be on full display. The Wizards will be able to get good looks up offensively, and though they will likely be dominated on this glass in this matchup, they will get a lot of extra scoring opportunities from Charlotte's turnovers, as the Hornets average 20.2 turnovers per game (29th in the league).
Defensively, the Wizards will have to do a better job of guarding Miller, but Dybantsa will help with that too given that he's a lengthy and capable defender.
Over/Under
BET UNDER 220.5 (-115).
Charlotte's defense has been shockingly solid to start the season, currently having a defensive rating of 109.7 (11th in the league), and that's largely because of rebounding. The Hornets allow the fewest second-chance points (11.4) while also having the second-best defensive rebounding percentage (74.1). On the other side, Miller is really the only scoring threat that the Wizards have to worry about, and I doubt he is able to go off here the same way he did when these teams last met.
The Under has hit in back-to-back games for Washington and is 5-0 for the Hornets this season.
Best prop bet
Hornets C MOUSSA DIABATE OVER 10.5 REBOUNDS (+100).
Diabate has had at least 11 rebounds in each of his last 3 games against Washington. The Wizards are one of the worst rebounding teams in the NBA, averaging just 40 rebounds per game (28th) while giving up over 47 per game (24th). The Wizards don't get on the glass on either end of the court, so look for Diabate to dominate on both the offensive and defensive glass to crush this line.
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This article originally appeared on Sportsbook Wire: Charlotte Hornets at Washington Wizards odds, picks and predictions
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