The Los Angeles Lakers host the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday, and if you’re looking to do some last-minute betting research, you’re in luck! We’ll give you the latest point spread, money line odds and over/under number, as well as the information you’ll need to make the smartest bet.
The Lakers are coming off a 141-116 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday that snapped a three-game losing streak. They have won just nine of their last 19 games and are badly in need of some positive momentum, especially with an eight-game road trip coming up starting on Tuesday of next week.
They currently have a 24-14 record and are in fifth place in the Western Conference. Los Angeles is half a game ahead of the sixth-place Houston Rockets and 1.5 games behind the fourth-place Minnesota Timberwolves.
The lines, courtesy of BetMGM
Lakers vs Hornets injury reports
Hornets: Moussa Diabate (right hip soreness) and Collin Sexton (left hamstring soreness) are questionable. Mason Plumlee (right groin surgery) is out.
Lakers: Jaxson Hayes (left hamstring soreness) is questionable. Austin Reaves (left calf strain) and Adou Thiero (right MCL sprain) are out.
Advice and Prediction:
The Lakers may have come out flat during their 124-112 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Monday, but they did the opposite against Atlanta on Tuesday. They will need to continue to be focused and intentional versus Charlotte.
Charlotte may have a 14-26 record, but it has won three of its last six games, and it has a couple of players who can do some real damage. Guard LaMelo Ball may not be a very efficient shooter, but he’s averaging 20.1 points and 7.7 assists a game, and he can get hot in a hurry. Rookie wing Kon Knueppel is putting up 19.1 points per game and is shooting 48% overall and 42.5% from 3-point range, and he’s a huge threat from long distance.
Thanks largely to Knueppel, the Hornets are sixth in 3-point percentage, fifth in 3-point attempts per game and third in 3-point makes per game. They’re also fourth in offensive rebounding percentage and fifth in second-chance points per game, so both areas need to be points of emphasis for the Lakers.
As long as the Lakers take care of both those areas, they should win this game without too much trouble.
Prediction: Lakers 119, Hornets 113
Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Prediction and betting odds for Lakers vs. Hornets
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
