The Boston Celtics bring the NBA's second-longest winning streak into a road game on Monday afternoon. Boston has won six games in a row, improving to 32-12 overall, and the Celtics are 15-7 on the road. The Celtics visit Spectrum Center to take on the Charlotte Hornets, with Charlotte entering at 11-33 overall this season. Jaylen Brown (adductor) is out for Boston, with Derrick White (neck) listed as probable. Gordon Hayward (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Charlotte, with Kelly Oubre (hand) ruled out.
Tip-off is at 1 p.m. ET in Charlotte. Boston is listed as an 8-point favorite on the road, while the over/under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 231 in the latest Celtics vs. Hornets odds. Before you make any Hornets vs. Celtics picks, you'll want to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past four-plus seasons. The model enters Week 13 of the 2022-23 NBA season on a stunning 43-19 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning more than $2,100. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Celtics vs. Hornets and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Hornets vs. Celtics:
- Celtics vs. Hornets spread: Celtics -8
- Celtics vs. Hornets over/under: 231 points
- Celtics vs. Hornets money line: Celtics -320, Hornets +250
- BOS: The Celtics are 12-10 against the spread in road games
- CHA: The Hornets are 6-14 against the spread in home games
- Celtics vs. Hornets picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Celtics can cover
Boston's offense is unquestionably elite, scoring more than 1.17 points per possession and ranking near the top of the NBA in myriad categories. This is also a tremendous defensive matchup for the Celtics, in part due to Charlotte's struggles. The Hornets are last in the NBA in offensive rating, scoring only 108.9 points per 100 possessions. Charlotte is also last in the league in 3-point accuracy at 32.8%, and the Hornets are in the bottom five in field goal percentage and 2-point percentage.
Boston's defense leads the league in three major categories. The Celtics are securing 74.5% of available defensive rebounds, giving up only 20.5 free throw attempts per game, and yielding 22.5 assists per game to opponents. Boston is also very strong in blocked shots (5.4 per game) and 2-point defense (53.5%) this season, with the Celtics posting a top-eight mark in the NBA in overall defensive efficiency.
Why the Hornets can cover
The Hornets are led by LaMelo Ball, who has scored at least 20 points in 17 of his last 18 games. Ball is averaging 24.8 points and 8.7 assists per game in that sample, while also shooting 39.2% from 3-point range. Charlotte takes care of the ball on offense, committing only 14.0 turnovers per game, and the Hornets also average 25.3 assists per contest.
The Hornets are potent on the offensive glass, securing 29.6% of missed shots, and Charlotte is No. 6 in the league with 15.7 second-chance points per game. Charlotte scores more than 54 points in the paint per game and, on the defensive end, the Hornets generate plenty of havoc. Charlotte is in the top 10 in turnovers created (15.0 per game) and steals (7.7 per game), with an above-average mark in blocked shots at 4.9 per game.
How to make Hornets vs. Celtics picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Under on the total, projecting 228 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 60% of simulations. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Celtics vs. Hornets? And which side of the spread hits in well over 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
