The Boston Celtics and Charlotte Hornets are riding impressive winning streaks and, on Thursday, the pair of Eastern Conference foes will square off at the Spectrum Center. The night is also noteworthy in that it is the return of All-Star point guard Kemba Walker to Charlotte for the first time since leaving in free agency, with NBA predictions becoming quite interesting given that dynamic. Tip-off is at 8 p.m. ET at Spectrum Center. Sportsbooks list the Celtics as 7-point road favorites, holding steady from the opener, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 215 in the latest Celtics vs. Hornets odds. Before you make any Celtics vs. Hornets picks, see what SportsLine's advanced computer model has to say.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and anyone who followed it last season saw massive returns. The model finished 300-252 on all its top-rated picks. On top-rated against-the-spread and money line NBA picks alone, the model returned a whopping $4,280.
Now it has locked in on Celtics vs. Hornets. We can tell you it's leaning over, and it also says one side of the spread hits in over 60 percent of simulations. You can only see that pick at SportsLine.
The model knows that the Hornets don't have the star power of the Celtics but, in the early going, Charlotte has played quite well at times. Second-year point guard Devonte' Graham has led the way for the Hornets, averaging 17.3 points per game, and he forms an intriguing tandem with Terry Rozier in an effort to match Walker at the point guard position.
Depth is also a strength for Charlotte, with a handful of quality reserves headlined by Graham, Malik Monk and Marvin Williams. Boston also has intriguing pieces but, particularly at the center position, the Celtics are weaker than in years past, leaving a potential opening for the Hornets if they can take advantage of it.
Just because it has a few edges doesn't mean Charlotte will cover the Celtics vs. Hornets point spread on Thursday.
The model is certainly also aware that the Celtics bring a ton of firepower to the table, with a trio of players currently averaging more than 20 points per game. Walker leads the way with 26.0 points per game and, given the spotlight on his return to Charlotte, the veteran guard could be in line for a big-time performance.
In support, Gordon Hayward is enjoying a bounce-back campaign in averaging 20.3 points per game and youngster Jayson Tatum is taking the next step in his evolution, putting together 21.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game so far during the young season. The varied offensive attack put forth by Boston should give Charlotte fits at the point of attack, particularly if Walker finds himself in a groove during his much-ballyhooed return.
So who wins Hornets vs. Celtics? And which side of the spread hits in over 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Hornets vs. Celtics spread you need to jump on Thursday, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks.
