NBA Odds: Hornets (even)
The Charlotte Hornets host a contest against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Time Warner Cable Arena. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 21 and can be seen on FSN-OK and SPSO.
The Hornets are expecting a better outcome after their 106-78 loss to the Pistons in their last matchup. Gerald Henderson was the team’s leading scorer with 17 points. The Thunder, meanwhile, are coming off a 104-89 win against the Mavericks in their last game. Russell Westbrook claimed his 13th double-double of the season with 34 points and 10 assists.
Henderson has taken his game to another level over the last five games for the Hornets. During that stretch, he has averaged 18.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.0 steal, and 1.0 three-pointer. Westbrook has been hot for the Thunder. In the same five-game span, he is averaging 30.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.6 three-pointers.
The top-notch Thunder defense appears to have an advantage when it comes to effective field goal percentage. They rank third in the league in making teams miss (opponents’ effective field goal percentage of 47.6%), whereas the cold-shooting offense of Charlotte is 29th with a mark of 45.6%.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Thunder winning the first matchup 98-75. Westbrook was the game’s top overall scorer with 29 points.
The odds for Charlotte and Oklahoma City are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable as of now. The Hornets have gone 22-30 Straight Up (SU) and 25-25-2 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 6-15 SU and 10-11 ATS against the Western Conference. Charlotte is one of the most disciplined teams in the league with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.8. Charlotte will look to take advantage of the Thunder and their propensity to foul. Oklahoma City has committed the 28th-most fouls in the league, averaging 22.4 per game.
Over on the other bench, the Thunder have 29-25 SU and 25-27-2 ATS records. Against the Eastern Conference, Oklahoma City is 12-8 SU and 8-11-1 ATS. The Thunder have controlled the glass with an NBA-best 46.8 per game. The Thunder are a problem for teams on the defensive side, allowing only .428 shooting from the field to their opponents. Blocking shots is an area where Oklahoma City has excelled. The Thunder average 6.0 blocks per game, making them one of the best in the league.
The Thunder’s win over Charlotte in their last clash bumped their SU record over the last 10 meetings to 9-1. The Thunder also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 8-2. Oklahoma City held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers six times, while Charlotte was never able to do so in their most recent 10 games.
Predictions: SU Winner – OKC, ATS Winner – OKC
Notes
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Charlotte’s last 8 games.
Charlotte is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Charlotte’s last 8 games at home.
Charlotte is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home.
Charlotte is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City.
Charlotte is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Oklahoma City.
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Charlotte’s last 16 games when playing Oklahoma City.
Charlotte puts up an average of 94.3 points per game (ranked 27th), while Oklahoma City allows 98.6 points per game (ranked 11th).
Charlotte ranks 28th in points per home game with 94.5 points, while Oklahoma City ranks 18th in points allowed on the road with 101.3.
The Charlotte Hornets lost their last game by 28 points. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, the Oklahoma City Thunder are 6-3. Charlotte is 6-9 in blowouts this season.
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Oklahoma City Thunder are a solid 20-9. In games where they score fewer than 100 points, the Charlotte Hornets have a losing record of 9-24.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Thunder are just 9-16 this season. Charlotte is a solid 13-6 when registering triple digits.
The Thunder have an offensive rating of 102.7 (ranked 16th), while the Hornets rank sixth for their defensive rating of 100.3.
The Oklahoma City Thunder average a field goal percentage of 44.4% this season. The Charlotte Hornets have a subpar record of 6-19 when opponents have a FG% of 44.4% or greater.
Charlotte averages 18.5 three point attempts per game, and Oklahoma City attempts 22.6 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Hornets have a losing 1-2 record while the Thunder have a 7-8 record.
Charlotte has an assist to turnover ratio of 1.84 this season (ranked fifth), while Oklahoma City ranks lower at 25th with an A/TO of 1.43.
Oklahoma City is the best rebounding team in the NBA this season with 46.8 per game. On the other side, Charlotte is in the top half of the league, ranking 11th with 43.9 per game.
The Oklahoma City Thunder rank fifth in offensive rebounding, while the Charlotte Hornets also rank fifth in defensive rebounds.
Charlotte has forced an average turnover percentage of 12.6% this season. Oklahoma City is an even 18-18 when its TOV% is 12.6% or higher.
