Southeast Division foes will collide when the Washington Wizards (40-32) play the Charlotte Hornets (30-40) at the Verizon Center. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 27 and can be seen on SPSO and CSN-DC.
The Wizards are are expecting a better outcome after their 103-101 loss to the Pacers on Wednesday. John Wall was the game’s leading scorer with 34 points. The Hornets, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after the close 91-88 loss against the Nets on Wednesday. Charlotte still lost despite the best efforts of Al Jefferson, who recorded his 21st double-double of the season with 23 points and 10 rebounds.
The Hornets may not find many second-chance opportunities in this matchup. They’re ranked 29th in the league in offensive rebounding (offensive rebound percentage of 22.2%), whereas Washington is third-best in the NBA on the defensive glass (defensive rebound percentage of 77.4%).
The Hornets lead the season series against the Wizards two games to one, but lost their most recent matchup, a 95-69 blowout. Marcin Gortat was the game’s top overall scorer with 20 points.
The odds for Washington and Charlotte are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently not available. The Wizards have gone 40-32 Straight Up (SU) and 28-43-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They have been able to pull off wins at home against opponents within their division, going 4-2 SU, but only have a record of 2-4 ATS. The Wizards have really locked down opponents, ranking fifth in the league with a .437 opponent field-goal percentage.
As for their opponent, the Hornets have a record of 33-35-2 ATS and 30-40 SU. Against fellow division members, Charlotte has a 7-5 SU and a 6-5-1 ATS record. The Hornets are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking fourth in the NBA at 1.83. Shifting to the other side of the court, the Hornets allow just 96.9 points per game, ranking them fourth in the league.
With the Wizards’ last win against Charlotte, Washington moved closer to evening up its record against Charlotte. It now stands at 3-7 SU over the last 10 meetings. With a 7-3 record, the Hornets also have the advantage ATS. Washington held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once in the last 10 matchups. On the other side of the court, Charlotte never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – CHA, ATS Winner – CHA
Notes
Washington is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games.
Washington is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington’s last 5 games at home.
Washington is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Washington’s last 7 games when playing Charlotte.
Washington is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Charlotte.
Washington is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Charlotte.
Washington is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Charlotte.
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Washington’s last 12 games when playing at home against Charlotte.
Washington is 8-6 against its divisional rivals, while Charlotte is 7-5 against its division.
On average, Charlotte scores 94.6 points per game (ranked 28th), while Washington allows 97.7 points per game (ranked eighth).
Charlotte puts up an average of 94.3 points per away game (ranked 25th), while Washington gives up 96.2 points per home game (ranked seventh).
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Wizards are 34-8 on the season. When the Hornets score fewer than 100, they are a losing 11-32.
The Washington Wizards have an underachieving 6-24 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Charlotte Hornets are 19-8 when they hit triple digits.
The Wizards have an offensive rating of 101.3 (ranked 19th). The Hornets rank sixth for their defensive rating of 100.3.
The Washington Wizards average 96.9 possessions and 1.013 points per possession in games this season. The Charlotte Hornets average fewer possessions with 96.7, as well as fewer points per possession with .978.
Washington has an average effective field goal percentage of 50.0%. Charlotte is a subpar 6-20 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Washington makes an average of 23.8 assists per game (ranked sixth), while Charlotte makes 20.4 assists per game (ranked 26th).
The Washington Wizards average 4.5 blocks per game for a rank of 19th. The Charlotte Hornets rank higher (seventh), earning 5.5 blocks each contest.
The Washington Wizards rank 22nd in offensive rebounding, while the Charlotte Hornets rank fifth in defensive rebounding.
On average, Washington makes 7.3 steals per game. Charlotte is a poor 11-20 when it gives up at least 7 steals.
