The Charlotte Hornets visit the BMO Harris Bradley Center to take on the Milwaukee Bucks. Action gets underway at 8:00 pm ET on Friday, Feb. 19 and will air on FWi and FxS.
The Bucks defeated the Wizards 99-92 the last time they played. Khris Middleton was the game’s leading scorer with 27 points on 9-for-17 shooting. The Hornets, meanwhile, are coming off a 117-95 win over the Pacers in their last game. Kemba Walker was the game’s top scorer, posting 25 points on 10-for-21 shooting.
Walker and Nicolas Batum have been on a tear over the last five games for the Hornets. Walker has averaged 24.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.0 steals, and 3.0 three-pointers during that stretch, while Batum has put up 17.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 0.6 steals, 1.4 blocks, and 2.8 three-pointers.
Both teams have won a game in the season series. The Bucks had the upper hand in the most recent game, a 105-92 win. Middleton was the game’s top overall scorer with 24 points.
The Bucks are looking to improve on their records of 22-32 Straight Up (SU) and 27-26-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 22-32 SU and 27-26-1 ATS against the Eastern Conference. If its opponents turn the ball over, Milwaukee has shown that it knows how to capitalize. They average 18.6 points off turnovers, making them the fifth-best team in the league for that category.
In the other locker room, the Hornets have a record of 26-26-1 ATS and 27-26 SU. Charlotte has records of 27-26 SU and 26-26-1 ATS against the East. The Hornets rely heavily on three-pointers on offense, ranking third in the league with 550 made (10.0 per game). Don’t expect Charlotte to give away the ball much on offense, where its 12.3 turnovers per game are the least in the league.
In their previous meeting this season, Milwaukee beat Charlotte, but the win was not enough to overtake Charlotte in the recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 2-8 SU over the most recent 10 meetings. The teams have an even record ATS, 5-5.
Predictions: SU Winner – Cha
Notes
Charlotte ranks 14th in points per game with 102.1, while Milwaukee ranks 19th in points allowed with an average of 102.8 given up.
Milwaukee ranks 19th in points allowed per home game (101.4 PPG), while Charlotte ranks 13th in points per away game with 100.4.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Bucks are 15-5 on the season. When the Hornets score fewer than 100, they are an underachieving 5-21.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Bucks are just 7-27 this season. Charlotte is a stellar 22-5 when it reaches the century mark.
The Bucks have an offensive rating of 102.1 (ranked 24th). The Hornets rank 11th for their defensive rating of 102.2.
Charlotte beats Milwaukee in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Hornets average 98.1 possessions and 1.040 points per possession, while the Bucks average 96.1 possessions with 1.021 points per possession.
The Milwaukee Bucks average an effective field goal percentage of 49.5% this season. The Charlotte Hornets have a losing record of 9-15 when opponents have an EFF% of 49.5% or greater.
Milwaukee attempts an average of 15.0 three pointers per game, and Charlotte attempts 29.0 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Bucks are winless at 0-3 while the Hornets have a 25-20 record.
The Milwaukee Bucks rank 18th with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.54. The Charlotte Hornets have a higher A/TO (1.74), ranking seventh.
Milwaukee ranks 27th in rebounds per game with 41.7, while Charlotte ranks 11th with 44.2 per game.
Milwaukee is ranked 30th in defensive rebounds, while Charlotte ranks 25th in offensive rebounds.
Milwaukee ranks seventh in forced turnovers with an average rate of 15.1%. Charlotte has a 7-9 record when they suffer a turnover rate equal to or exceeding this.
