Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Hornets travel to Boston to take on Isaiah Thomas and the Celtics at the TD Garden. The game gets underway at 7:30 pm ET on Monday, Apr. 11 and will air on CNE and FxS.
The Celtics were beaten by the Hawks 118-107 on Saturday. Amir Johnson had a good game for Boston, finishing with 14 points, eight rebounds, and four blocks. The Hornets, meanwhile, are coming off a 113-98 loss at the hands of the Wizards on Sunday. Frank Kaminsky scored 18 points and recorded 11 rebounds earning his first double-double of the season.
Based on each team’s statistical profile, the turnover story could loom large in this showdown. Charlotte commits the fewest errors in the NBA (turnover percentage of 12.1%), while Boston’s ball-hawking defense causes the third-most (opponents’ turnover percentage of 15.7%).
The Celtics have won both contests against the Hornets this season, including a 102-89 victory in their last matchup. Kelly Olynyk was a top performer in the victory with 20 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one three-pointer.
The Celtics enter the game with records of 47-33 Straight Up (SU) and 40-38-2 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games, they are 3-7 ATS. Something to watch out for is if Boston can force its opponents into turnovers and convert them into baskets. They’ve done an excellent job of that all year with an average of 18.8 points off turnovers per game.
Across the court, Charlotte has a SU record of 46-34 and an ATS record of 40-39-1. Charlotte has records of 46-34 SU and 40-39-1 ATS against the East. The Hornets are shooting lights out from the foul line so far, with a .792 free throw percentage that ranks fifth in the NBA. The Hornets rarely make costly errors handling the ball. They have the fourth-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the league at 1.81. The Hornets are a terror on the defensive glass, averaging an impressive 34.9 defensive rebounds per game. The Hornets are in for a physical game against Boston. The Celtics are not afraid to send opponents to the free throw line, averaging 22.4 fouls per game.
Boston won the last meeting this season between these two teams, moving its SU record against the Hornets to 7-3 in their last 10 head-to-head meetings. Additionally, with a 7-3 record, the Celtics have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – Bos
Notes
“Boston is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games “.
“Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Boston’s last 10 games “.
“Boston is 14-6 ATS in its last 20 games at home”.
“Boston is 18-2 SU in its last 20 games at home”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Boston’s last 11 games at home”.
“Boston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Charlotte”.
“Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Charlotte”.
“Boston is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Charlotte”.
“Boston is 6-12 ATS in its last 18 games when playing at home against Charlotte”.
“The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston’s last 5 games when playing at home against Charlotte”.
On average, Charlotte puts up 103.1 points per game (ranked 11th). Boston ranks 13th in points allowed per game with 102.5.
Charlotte scores an average of 101.0 points per away game (ranked 14th), while Boston allows 100.5 points per home game (ranked 13th).
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Charlotte Hornets are a formidable 32-9. In games where they score fewer than 100 points, the Boston Celtics have a poor record of 6-15.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Hornets are just 14-25 this season. Boston is a solid 41-18 when registering triple digits.
The Celtics have a defensive rating of 101.4, fourth-best in the NBA. The Hornets also rank in the top half of the league for their offensive rating of 105.5 (ranked ninth).
The Charlotte Hornets average a field goal percentage of 43.6% this season. The Boston Celtics have a losing record of 11-26 when opponents have a FG% of 43.6% or greater.
The Charlotte Hornets rank lower for their field goal percentage (27th) than their effective field goal percentage (16th), while the Boston Celtics rank the same for both metrics (23rd).
On average, the Boston Celtics make 24.3 assists per game and the Charlotte Hornets make 21.5. Boston is ranked sixth, while Charlotte is ranked 19th.
The Boston Celtics average 4.3 blocks per game for a rank of 22nd. The Charlotte Hornets rank higher (12th), earning 5.3 blocks each contest.
The Boston Celtics are among the best offensive rebounding teams in the league (ranked third). Ranked fourth, the Charlotte Hornets are one of the top-ranked defensive rebounding teams.
The Boston Celtics earn an average of 9.2 steals per game and are ranked second. The Charlotte Hornets have an 11-12 record when they allow at least 9 steals.
