Southeast Division foes will lock horns when the Charlotte Hornets (22-23) face the Washington Wizards (20-23) at the Time Warner Cable Arena. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 6 and can be seen on FxS and WA2.
The Hornets enter this game hoping for similar success after edging the Kings 129-128 in their last matchup. Troy Daniels was the team’s leading scorer with 28 points on 10-for-15 shooting. The Wizards, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 106-89 loss against the Raptors in their last game. Otto Porter played well for Washington, recording 15 points, eight rebounds, and four steals.
Over the last five games, Kemba Walker has taken his game to another level for the Hornets, averaging 32.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 2.6 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 2.8 three-pointers.
Based on historical performance heading into this one, ball security could play a key role in the matchup. Charlotte commits the fewest miscues in the NBA (turnover percentage of 12.2%), while Washington’s pesky defense causes the third-most (opponents’ turnover percentage of 16.2%). Put-back points also figure to be rare for the Wizards. They rank 27th in the NBA in offensive rebounding (offensive rebound percentage of 20.7%), while the Hornets are second-best in the league on the defensive glass (defensive rebound percentage of 79.5%).
Both teams have won a game in the season series. The Wizards had the upper hand in the most recent game, a 109-101 win. Jared Dudley had a stellar game with 19 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two steals, and three three-pointers.
The Hornets come into this game 24-26 Straight Up (SU) and 24-25-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 7-3 SU and 6-4 ATS against divisional opponents. The Hornets are one of the best in the NBA in terms of three-point field goals, making 10.0 shots per game from beyond the arc. Charlotte is one of the most disciplined teams in the league with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.78. The Hornets will be looking to turn around their defense after struggling a bit recently. The Hornets have given up an average of 111.7 points to opponents in their last 10 games, well over their defense’s season average of 101.2 PPG.
In the other locker room, the Wizards have 22-26 SU and 24-23-1 ATS records. Against fellow division members, Washington has a 4-6 SU and a 5-4-1 ATS record. The Wizards convert their three-pointers at a high percentage, ranking fifth in the league at .365.
Washington beat Charlotte in their most recent meeting this season, but the win was not enough to overtake Charlotte in the most recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 4-6 SU over the last 10 meetings. The Hornets also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 7-3.
Predictions: SU Winner – Cha
Notes
“Charlotte is 17-7-1 SU in its last 25 games at home”.
“Charlotte is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Washington”.
“Charlotte is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Washington”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Charlotte’s last 7 games when playing Washington”.
“Charlotte is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Washington”.
“Charlotte is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Washington”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Charlotte’s last 5 games when playing at home against Washington”.
“Washington is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Charlotte”.
The Washington Wizards hold a solid 7-3 SU record in matchups against Southeast Division rivals, while the Charlotte Hornets currently sit at 4-5 in these games.
Washington ranks ninth in points per game with 102.7, while Charlotte ranks 15th in points allowed with an average of 101.2 given up.
Washington and Charlotte are well matched, ranking 10th in points per away game and points allowed at home respectively. Washington scores an average of 101.6 points on the road, while Charlotte gives up 98.4 points at home on average.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Wizards are 12-4 on the season. When the Hornets score fewer than 100, they are a subpar 5-18.
The Washington Wizards have a poor 8-19 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Charlotte Hornets are 17-5 when they hit the century mark.
The Wizards have an offensive rating of 102.7 (ranked 16th), while the Hornets rank 13th for their defensive rating of 102.5.
Washington has an average field goal percentage of 45.4% (ranked ninth). Charlotte is a poor 6-12 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Charlotte Hornets rank higher for their effective field goal percentage (20th) than they do for their field goal percentage (29th). The Washington Wizards rank ninth for both their FG% and EFF%.
On average, the Washington Wizards make 23.9 assists per game and the Charlotte Hornets make 21.3. Washington is ranked sixth, while Charlotte is ranked 20th.
The Charlotte Hornets average 5.2 blocks per game for a rank of 10th. The Washington Wizards rank lower (29th), earning 3.7 blocks each game.
The Charlotte Hornets rank 24th in offensive rebounding, while the Washington Wizards rank 29th in defensive rebounding.
Washington averages 8.8 steals per game (ranked fifth). Charlotte is 7-8 when allowing at least 8 steals.
