The Charlotte Hornets welcome the Los Angeles Lakers to the Time Warner Cable Arena. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Monday, Dec. 28 and can be seen on TWC and FxS.
The Hornets enter this game hoping for similar success after topping the Grizzlies 98-92 on Saturday. Kemba Walker was the game’s leading scorer with 22 points on 6-for-12 shooting. The Lakers, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 112-96 loss against that same Grizzlies squad on Sunday. Los Angeles still lost despite the best efforts of Larry Nance Jr., who recorded his first double-double of the season with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
The Hornets could put on a ball-control clinic in this one. They’re ranked first in the NBA at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of only 12.7%). Additionally, Los Angeles forces the fifth-fewest turnovers in the league (13.0%).
This one isn’t expected to be close when the Hornets, a big 11-point favorite, take on the Lakers. According to the oddsmakers, the Over/Under (O/U) is currently 203 points. The Hornets come into this game 16-13 Straight Up (SU) and 15-13-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 6-3 SU and ATS against the Western Conference. 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 1.74. Teams usually don’t get many offensive rebounds against the Hornets, who are one of the top defensive rebounding teams in the league with an average of 35.1 defensive rebounds per game.
As for their opponent, the Lakers have a record of 11-20 ATS and 5-26 SU. Despite having a losing record against the Eastern Conference, Los Angeles is successful ATS in those games with a record of 8-5.
These two will be squaring off for the first time this season. In their previous head-to-head meeting, Charlotte came out on top, but the win was not enough to overtake Los Angeles in the recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 4-6 SU over the most recent 10 meetings. The teams are even ATS, with a 5-5 record.
Predictions: SU Winner – Cha, ATS Winner – Cha, O/U – Under
Notes
Charlotte is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games.
Charlotte is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Charlotte’s last 6 games at home.
Charlotte is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games at home.
Charlotte is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games when playing LA Lakers.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Charlotte’s last 8 games when playing LA Lakers.
Charlotte is 2-6 SU in their last 8 games when playing LA Lakers.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Charlotte’s last 7 games when playing at home against LA Lakers.
Charlotte is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against LA Lakers.
LA Lakers are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Charlotte.
On average, Los Angeles scores 96.2 points per game (ranked 29th), while Charlotte gives up 99.0 points per game (ranked ninth).
Los Angeles ranks 24th in points per away game with 95.8 points, while Charlotte ranks seventh in points allowed at home with 96.7.
Los Angeles has an even 3-3 record in contests where it allows fewer than 100 points. The Hornets do not perform well when scoring under 100 points, earning a 4-12 record on the season.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Lakers are just 2-23 this season. Charlotte is a stellar 12-1 when registering triple digits.
The Lakers have an offensive rating of 97.4 (ranked 29th), while the Hornets rank eighth for their defensive rating of 99.8.
Charlotte has an average field goal percentage of 43.6%. Los Angeles is an abysmal 3-20 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Charlotte Hornets rank higher for their effective field goal percentage (17th) than they do for their field goal percentage (23rd). The Los Angeles Lakers rank 30th for both their FG% and EFF%.
Charlotte makes an average of 21.6 assists per game (ranked 15th), while Los Angeles makes 18.3 assists per game (ranked 27th).
The Charlotte Hornets average 5.9 blocks per game for a rank of seventh. The Los Angeles Lakers rank lower (20th), earning 4.5 blocks each game.
Charlotte is ranked 27th when it comes to offensive rebounding. Los Angeles ranks 24th in defensive rebounds.
The Charlotte Hornets average 7.2 steals per game. When giving up 7 or more steals, the Los Angeles Lakers have an underachieving record (3-16) this season.
