Southeast Division foes will collide when the Washington Wizards (34-24) square off against the Charlotte Hornets (25-33) at Capital One Arena. The game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 212 points with Washington opening as a 3.5-point favorite. Action gets underway at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, February 23, 2018, and it can be seen on Fox Sports Carolina.
Charlotte Hornets vs. Washington Wizards ATS Preview
The Hornets were victorious over the Brooklyn Nets in their last game, 111-96. With 15 points and 24 rebounds, Dwight Howard played well for Charlotte. Charlotte played a nearly flawless game. They had a free throw rate of 0.184 (below their season average of 0.228) and an offensive rebounding percentage of 30.2 (above their season average of 22.5). Brooklyn put up marks of 0.108 and 21.2, respectively, for those same stats.
In the Wizards’ last game, they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 110-103. Tomas Satoransky had a good outing for Washington, contributing 17 points and eight assists. The Wizards held the Cavaliers to an offensive rebounding percentage of 15.0 (below the 23.7 mark opponents have averaged against Washington this season) and had a turnover percentage of 9.4 (better than their season average of 12.5).
The aggressive Charlotte offense might be living from the free throw line in this meeting. The Hornets currently rank third in the league with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.227, while Washington ranks 23rd in FTA rate allowed (0.212).
Of Charlotte’s 57 games that accepted bets, 28 have finished over the projected point total, while 29 of Washington’s 57 games have finished under the projected point total. Looking at straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records, the Wizards have a significant advantage. They are 34-24 SU and 27-30 ATS, while the Hornets are 25-33 SU and 21-32-4 ATS.
Otto Porter Jr. has been superb over the last five games for Washington, averaging 18.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.
These two teams have already met twice this year, with the Hornets winning both. Howard had 18 points and 15 rebounds in the most recent matchup, in which the Hornets defeated the Wizards 133-109, covering as 1.5-point favorites. The two teams combined to score 242 points, which was 26.5 points above the projected point total of 215.5 points. The Hornets played a nearly perfect game. They had a phenomenally low turnover percentage of 7.6 and a great offensive rebounding percentage of 28.3. For those same stats, the Wizards were 14.8 and 16.3, respectively.
Charlotte Hornets at Washington Wizards Odds Prediction
NBA Pick: SU Winner – Wizards, ATS Winner – Wizards, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- The Wizards rank 14th in fast break points per game (11.6) while the Hornets rank 27th (9.2).
- Washington ranks 20th in blocks per game (4.5) while Charlotte ranks 22nd in blocks allowed per game (5.2).
- Charlotte ranks second in points off turnovers allowed per game (14.0) while Washington ranks 14th (16.1).
- Charlotte is 8-16-3 ATS on the road, while Washington is 10-17 ATS at home.
- The Hornets have 13 overs, 13 unders and 1 push in 27 road games.
- In 27 home games, the Wizards have 14 overs, 11 unders and 2 pushes.
- When allowing under 100 points, Charlotte is 9-3 and Washington is 16-2.
- The Wizards are 31-13 when they reach the century mark, while the Hornets are 24-14.
- The Hornets rank second in steals allowed per game (6.6) while the Wizards rank 13th (7.5).
- Charlotte ranks first in second chance points allowed per game (9.9) while Washington ranks 27th (13.7).
- The Wizards rank fourth in assists per game (24.4) while the Hornets rank 28th (21.1).
- The Wizards average 26.7 three pointers per game, which ranks 22nd in the NBA. The Hornets rank 23rd in three pointers allowed per game (30.2).
- Charlotte ranks third in rebounds per game (45.8) while Washington ranks 18th (42.9).
Bettings Trends:
- Washington is 3-2 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Charlotte is 0-5 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders.
- The Wizards’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 0.8, down from 2.0 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Hornets have scored an average of 103.0 points per game (3.1 below their season average) and allowed an average of 107.2 points per game (0.8 above their season average).
