Charlotte Hornets - Washington Wizards predictions and free betting tips [09/11/2023]

The Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets are set to face off at the Spectrum Centre on Thursday morning in GMT. We're placing our bets on a Hornets victory.

Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets have been struggling at the start of the season, having lost 4 out of their last 5 matches, and are looking to bounce back after a recent loss to the Dallas Mavericks with a score of 116:124. In this match-up, LaMelo Ball made headlines with his triple-double of 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists. He was given a well-needed assist by P.J. Washington and Gordon Hayward each tossing in another 20 points. The Hornets showed great promise in the first half, building a 15-point lead but let 74 points slip in the second half, opening the way for the Mavericks to change the tide of the game.

Starting the season, the Hornets have fallen to 4th place in the Southeast Division. This season, they rank 12th in points scored in the league (116.3 per game), 18th in rebounds (43.2 per game), and a concerning 27th in defence, allowing 121.7 points per game. The team is currently 8th in the NBA in field goal percentage (48.3%); however, their weakness appears to be three-point shooting, ranking 30th in number (8.8 per game) and 28th in accuracy (30.6%).

Injuries are taking a toll on the Hornets roster, with Cody Martin and Frank Ntilikina missing games due to injuries, while James Bouknight recovers from a knee surgery. Miles Bridges is serving suspension, but is expected to return mid-November, and Terry Rozier's status for the upcoming match remains unclear due to injury.

Washington Wizards

The Wizards are having a trying time this season, suffering losses in 5 out of the first 6 matches and are now trying to avert a fifth consecutive defeat after a significant loss to the Philadelphia Sixers with a score of 128:146. Kyle Kuzma stood out in this game, accruing 28 points, and both Jordan Poole and Deni Avdija chipped in, with 23 and 16 points, respectively. The Wizards put on a commendable offensive display, hitting 51% of their field goals and 14 out of 34 three-pointers. However, their defence leaves much to be desired, especially after surrendering the 27-point lead in the third quarter.

Following their defeat, Washington finds themselves at the bottom of the Southeast Division. Despite leading at the end of the first quarter, the Wizards struggled to maintain competitiveness losing their lead and falling behind by double digits by the third quarter. Their decent offensive efficiency, averaging 117.2 points per game which puts them 9th in the league, has failed to counteract a weak defence where they concede an average of 128.7 points, putting them at the bottom of the NBA.

Kuzma remains the lead scorer for the Wizards, averaging 23.7 points per game. Besides Kuzma, Poole and Avdija also display consistent performance while the game rotation by coach Wes Unseld Jr includes key players that keep the team in the middle of the league for field goal percentage (48.6%) and three-point shooting. However, for the Wizards to improve their standings, they must focus on reinforcing their defence which has been their evident weak point.

Prediction

Making bets on the upcoming match is proving to be difficult considering the current instability of both teams. The Wizards are struggling to find their footing and their attempts to utilise Jordan Poole have not yielded the expected results, with their defence not doing much better. On the other hand, the Charlotte Hornets also have their issues as they recover from a significant loss to the Dallas Mavericks. However, the Hornets have shown they can put up a fight even against the Mavericks which makes them a favourable choice in this match-up.