The Brooklyn Nets will be without another one of their injured stars when they host the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday in the second of a back-to-back. Point guard James Harden sat out the fourth quarter of Wednesday's come-from-behind victory over Houston due to tightness in his right hamstring, and he is listed as out for this matchup. He'll join Kevin Durant (hamstring) and Blake Griffin (rest) on the bench on Thursday. Brooklyn, which owns the best record in the Eastern Conference for the first time since April 2003, will look to avenge a two-point loss at Charlotte on Dec. 27.
Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. ET at Barclays Center. William Hill Sportsbook lists Brooklyn as a two-point favorite, while the over-under for total points scored is 221.5 in the latest Hornets vs. Nets odds. Before making any Nets vs. Hornets picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and it has returned more than $8,800 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks over the past two-plus seasons. The model is up more than $800 on its top-rated picks this season, and dating back to last year, it entered Week 15 of the 2020-21 NBA schedule on a stunning 93-59 roll on top-rated NBA picks against the spread. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Nets vs. Hornets. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting trends for Hornets vs. Nets:
- Hornets vs. Nets spread: Nets -2
- Hornets vs. Nets over-under: 221.5 points
- Hornets vs. Nets money line: Nets -135; Hornets +115
- CHA: The Hornets are allowing an average of 100.8 points in their last five
- BKN: The Nets are 6-13 ATS as a home favorite
Why the Hornets can cover
Charlotte has withstood the loss of LaMelo Ball (wrist) due to the stellar play of guard Terry Rozier, who was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week on Monday after averaging 24.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.5 assists in a four-game stretch. Rozier continued to light it up by scoring 27 points and grabbing seven rebounds in a win at Washington on Tuesday. He was 5 of 10 from behind the arc, his fourth straight game with at least four 3-pointers.
Forward Gordon Hayward snapped out of a mini-shooting slump at Washington, scoring 27 points and grabbing a season-high 11 rebounds for his second double-double of the campaign. He is averaging 19.9 points and 5.9 rebounds while knocking down 41.7 percent of his 3-point attempts. Devonte' Graham has picked it up at the offensive end in Ball's absence, averaging 21.0 points and hitting 20 3-pointers over the last four games.
Why the Nets can cover
Harden notched his 12th triple-double of the season in Monday's narrow win over Minnesota but his teammates stepped it up after he went out Wednesday. Brooklyn went on a 22-2 run late in the fourth quarter. Nicolas Claxton was key off the bench with 12 points and eight boards.
Kyrie Irving, who scored 27 points Monday in his return to the lineup after a three-game absence, recorded his third double-double (31 points, 12 assists) of the season Wednesday. Despite the huge performance, he was overshadowed by Joe Harris, who was instrumental in the comeback by scoring 14 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter. He is shooting 48.9 percent from beyond the arc after burying 7 of 12 3-pointers against the Rockets.
How to make Hornets vs. Nets picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 225 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits over 60 percent of the time. You can get that pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Hornets vs. Nets? And which side of the spread hits over 60 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that on a roll on NBA picks.
