Subscribe
Follow Us
We're back to continue our coverage of Friday's NBA slate as we head to the Eastern Conference for our next betting prediction and pick. Two struggling teams will conclude their season series as the Charlotte Hornets take on the Philadelphia 76ers. Philadelphia leads the series 3-0. We continue our NBA odds series with a Hornets-76ers prediction and pick.
The Charlotte Hornets are currently 7-19 and will meet the Washington Wizards before finishing this short stint on the road in Philly. They've faced the 76ers twice over their last six games, losing their most recent meeting 108-121. They'll look to bounce back as the underdogs once again.
The Philadelphia 76ers are currently 8-16 and occupy the 12 spot in the Eastern Conference rankings. While they've seen a rough start to the season and once again lost Joel Embiid to injury, they've won five of their last seven games and have a chance to gain momentum during this short homestand.
Here are the Hornets-76ers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Hornets-76ers Odds
Charlotte Hornets: +9.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +310
Philadelphia 76ers: -9.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -390
Over: 221 (-110)
Under: 221 (-110)
How To Watch Hornets vs. 76ers
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET/ 4:00 p.m. PT
TV: FanDuel Charlotte, NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBA League Pass
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Hornets Could Cover the Spread/Win
Charlotte has gone just 1-10 over their last 11 games, and the Hornets winless against the 76ers this season. They've lost their three games against Philadelphia by an average margin of seven points, and their most recent meeting just a few days ago was their most convincing loss. They rank 27th league-wide in scoring with just 106.7 PPG, so they'll certainly need to outperform their averages to avoid the sweep against a Philly team that's currently hot.
LaMelo Ball currently leads the scoring efforts with his 30.2 PPG, ranking him fourth in all of the NBA. However, their scoring production takes a sizable dip from his numbers, and they've looked like a one-dimensional offense at many points throughout this season, hindering their overall numbers. Look for both Miles Bridges and Brandon Miller (questionable) to get involved during this meeting with Embiid out of the lineup.
Why the 76ers Could Cover the Spread/Win
Despite losing Joel Embiid once again to a pesky injury, the Philadelphia 76ers have outperformed expectations over their last seven games. While they notched five wins during that stretch, just one of their opponents (Orlando) owned a winning record. But it's still promising to see the 76ers make do with what they have and finally see Paul George producing on the floor. Tyrese Maxey has also scored at least 20 points in the last three games, and he comes into this one following a 40-point performance.
Despite being billed as the favorites in this game, the 76ers are just 3-9 at home this season and have gone 2-4 at home during their last 10 games. However, they are 5-1 when listed as the betting favorites, so this should be a game this rejuvenated lineup should win. Paul George will have an advantageous matchup against a porous Charlotte defense, and we should see him lead the charge in terms of their offensive flow.
Final Hornets-76ers Prediction & Pick
This will be the fourth and final meeting between these two squads, and it's been all Philadelphia during this season's rivalry. While their first two meetings were decided by two or fewer baskets, their most recent meeting just a few days ago certainly showed why this Philly team is a mismatch for Charlotte.
The 76ers are also 9-1 in their last 10 meetings against the Hornets, albeit Charlotte has a positive covering rate against the spread at 14-12. Philadelphia is 10-14 ATS on the season and just 4-8 ATS in their home building. While we could see a back-and-forth affair through the first half of this one, I expect the 76ers to pull away in the fourth quarter as both Paul George and Tyrese Maxey find ways to score and put the 76ers over the top.
While their previous two meetings have been close in terms of the stat sheets, the Hornets have been averaging around 20 turnovers per game recently, and they can't afford to give up as many possessions if they want the win here. The 76ers play strong defense with George in the lineup, and they're willing to run the fast break in transition, something Charlotte has struggled to defend throughout the year.
For our final prediction, let's roll with the Philadelphia 76ers to cover the spread and win this game at home.
Final Hornets-76ers Prediction & Pick: Philadelphia 76ers -9.5 (-110)
