The Los Angeles Lakers (32-20) and Charlotte Hornets (13-39) will face off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 10 p.m. ET from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. The game will broadcast live on NBA League Pass.
The Lakers are 12.5-point favorites over the Hornets on the spread, with the over/under set at 230.5 total points. Los Angeles is a -800 favorite to win outright, while Charlotte is +550 to pull off the upset.
Let's get to my Hornets vs. Lakers predictions and NBA picks for Wednesday, February 19.
Hornets vs Lakers Prediction, Odds
My Lakers vs. Hornets best bet is on the Over, with the best line currently available at DraftKings. But as always, make sure to shop for the best line using our live NBA odds page.
My Pick: Over 228.5
Hornets vs Lakers Spread, Over/Under, Moneyline
| Hornets Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+12.5 -110 | 230.5 -110o / -110u | +550 |
| Lakers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-12.5 -110 | 230.5 -110o / -110u | -800 |
- Hornets vs. Lakers spread: Lakers -12.5
- Hornets vs. Lakers over/under: 230.5 total points
- Hornets vs. Lakers moneyline: Lakers -800, Hornets +550
- Hornets vs. Lakers best bet:Over 228.5 (-110)
Charlotte Hornets vs Los Angeles Lakers NBA Wednesday Preview
The Hornets and the Lakers are set to play a makeup game after it was initially postponed due to the wildfires in LA. This cuts both of these team's All-Star breaks a bit, and puts them on the front end of a back-to-back where they both need to travel for the next leg.
Between that and the rescinded Mark Williams trade, there are plenty of storylines surrounding this spot.
Let's dive into the matchup.
LeBron James missed the All-Star game with an ankle injury so we will see if he extends his break by one game here or not. The Lakers also missed Jaxson Hayes, Gabe Vincent, Cam Reddish, and Dorian Finney-Smith in their last game before the break.
The Hornets have not played Mark Williams since the trade, so we will have to see if he suits up – if he does, he should be set up to feast against a thin Lakers' frontcourt.
The Lakers are still working to transition into their Luka Doncic era and with two games against the Jazz as the only sample, it is not much to work with.
In those two games, the Lakers saw their 3-point frequency jump from 36.3% to 44.6%. This may partially be due to Utah allowing a higher frequency of 3s during the season; however, I think this is something we should expect moving forward given to the change in the on-court personnel.
The biggest swing was in above-the-break 3s moving from 27.4% to 35.9% in frequency. This is the shot that the Hornets allow at the highest frequency in the league, per Cleaning the Glass.
Gabe Vincent, LeBron, Luka, Reaves, Knecht, and Hachimura should all to be looked at to hit some 3s.
The Hornets have been brutal this season with the fourth-worst Adjusted Net Rating (-6.0) and the third-worst offense (108.0), per Dunks and Threes. They desperately need LaMelo Ball to run any semblance of an efficient offense.
This is great for the Lakers as the area they may struggle the most is defensively as they adjust to this new lineup without Anthony Davis.
They allowed the Jazz to score 113 and 131 points in the two games heading into the Break, and while the motivation level in those games is always variable, the defense left much to be desired.
I'm expecting the Lakers' defense to struggle while also generating more looks from 3-point range on offense. This is favorable for the Over.
For a same game parlay, I want Luka 3+ Three-Pointers, LeBron 2+ Three-Pointers, and Reaves 2+ Three-Pointers.
Lakers vs Hornets Best Bet
- Over 228.5 (-110)
Hornets vs Lakers Parlay Picks
- Luka Doncic 3+ Three-Pointers Made
- LeBron James 2+ Three-Pointers Made
- Austin Reaves 2+ Three-Pointers Made
Parlay Payout: +140
