The Charlotte Hornets (15-12) and their fifth-ranked offense welcome the Boston Celtics (15-13) and their fourth-ranked defense. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Dec. 23 and can be seen on CNE and FxS.
The Hornets are expecting a better outcome after their 102-95 loss to the Rockets on Monday. Jeremy Lin had a good outing, putting up 13 points, five assists, and one rebound for Charlotte. The Celtics, meanwhile, are coming off a 113-99 win against the Timberwolves on Monday. Isaiah Thomas played well for Boston, registering eight points, 12 assists, and seven rebounds.
Thomas has been hot for the Celtics, averaging 21.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 8.4 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.6 three-pointers over the past five games.
This showdown pits one of the league’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses, as Charlotte currently ranks fifth in the NBA in offensive efficiency and Boston is fourth in defensive efficiency. Moreover, foul-shooting opportunities could prove to be quite rare for the Celtics. They are 27th in the league in free throw attempt rate (24.1), while the Hornets are among the league’s least foul-prone teams (allowing a rate of just 24.5, ranking fifth in the NBA).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first matchup 98-93. Thomas put up 21 points and 13 assists.
The Hornets are a slim two-point favorite at home against Boston. The matchup has an estimated Over/Under (O/U) of 202 points. The Hornets have gone 15-12 Straight Up (SU) and 14-12-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 10-9 SU and 9-9-1 ATS against the Eastern Conference. Charlotte is one of the most disciplined teams in the league with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.79.
Over on the other bench, the Celtics have a record of 15-12-1 ATS and 15-13 SU. Against the Eastern Conference, Boston is 10-9 SU and 9-10 ATS. The Celtics are an unselfish team with an average of 24.5 assists per game, ranking fourth in the NBA. Boston is the third-best team in the league at scoring points off turnovers with 19.6 per game.
In their previous meeting this season, Boston beat Charlotte, bumping its SU record over the last 10 meetings to 6-4. Furthermore, the Celtics hold the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4.
Predictions: SU Winner – Bos, ATS Winner – Bos, O/U – Over
Notes
Charlotte is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Charlotte’s last 6 games.
Charlotte is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Charlotte’s last 8 games at home.
Charlotte is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Charlotte’s last 6 games when playing Boston.
Charlotte is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Boston.
Charlotte is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Boston.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Charlotte’s last 7 games when playing at home against Boston.
On average, Boston puts up 103.4 points per game (ranked sixth). Charlotte ranks eighth in points allowed per game with 99.1.
Charlotte has allowed an average of 96.6 points per home game this season. Boston averages 103.5 points per away game, placing the team fourth in scoring.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Celtics are 14-2 on the season. When the Hornets score fewer than 100, they are an abysmal 3-11.
The Boston Celtics have a subpar 1-11 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Charlotte Hornets are 12-1 when they hit the century mark.
The Celtics have an offensive rating of 101.3 (ranked 24th), while the Hornets rank ninth for their defensive rating of 99.9.
The Charlotte Hornets average a field goal percentage of 44.0% this season. The Boston Celtics have an underachieving record of 3-9 when opponents have a FG% of 44.0% or greater.
The Charlotte Hornets and the Boston Celtics both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. Charlotte is 19th and 12th in the league for FG% and EFF% respectively, while Boston is 22nd and 18th in these categories.
The Boston Celtics, ranked fourth in the NBA, average 24.5 assists per game. The Charlotte Hornets make 21.7 assists (ranked 13th).
Charlotte makes an average of 5.7 blocks per game (ranked seventh), while Boston makes 4.8 blocks per game (ranked 16th).
Charlotte is ranked 26th when it comes to offensive rebounding. Boston ranks 22nd in defensive rebounds.
The Boston Celtics earn an average of 9.9 steals per game and are ranked second. The Charlotte Hornets have a 4-5 record when they allow at least 9 steals.
