Southeast Division foes will collide when the Charlotte Hornets (17-25) square off with the Washington Wizards (25-19) at Spectrum Center. Charlotte is a 1-point favorite on the opening line, while the games Over/Under (O/U) opened at 211.5 points. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 17, 2018, and it can be seen on Fox Sports Carolina.
Washington Wizards vs. Charlotte Hornets Odds Preview
The Wizards lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in their last matchup, 104-95. With 27 points on 7-for-22 shooting, John Wall was the top scorer from either team. Milwaukee forced the Wizards into a turnover percentage of 20.4 (above their season average of 12.2). Washington, on the other hand, did a great job of getting to and converting from the free throw line (25-31; 80.6 percent).
In the Hornets last matchup, they beat the Detroit Pistons, 118-107. With 21 points on 9-for-12 shooting, Dwight Howard was the top scorer from either team. Charlotte played a nearly flawless game. They had an offensive rebounding percentage of 20.5 (below their season average of 22.7) and a free throw rate of 0.262 (above their season average of 0.230). For those same stats, Detroit recorded marks of 7.0 and 0.093, respectively.
The physical Charlotte offense looks poised to dominate from the charity stripe. The Hornets currently rank second in the league with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.231, while Washington is among the NBA’s most foul-prone squads (giving up a 25th-ranked FTA rate of 0.213).
Of Washington’s 44 games, 25 have finished under the O/U total, while 23 of Charlotte’s 42 games have finished under the projected point total. The Wizards have the substantial advantage straight up (SU) (25-19 vs. 17-25) and a slight edge against the spread (ATS) (19-25 vs. 17-21-4).
Wall has really been playing well over the last five games for Washington, averaging 25.8 points, 12.2 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.2 blocks per game.
These teams have already met once this season. The two teams combined to put up 253 points in that game, which was well over the projected point total of 208.5. The Hornets won 129-124, covering as 3-point favorites. The Hornets dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had an absurd free throw rate of 0.363 and a superb offensive rebounding percentage of 29.2. The Wizards recorded marks of 0.172 and 20.9, respectively, for those same stats. Howard recorded a double-double with 26 points and 13 rebounds.
Washington Wizards at Charlotte Hornets Free Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Wizards, ATS Winner – Wizards, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Wizards rank 12th in steals per game (7.9) while the Hornets rank 28th (6.6).
- Washington ranks 22nd in three pointers attempted per game (25.9) while Charlotte ranks 23rd in three pointers allowed per game (30.4).
- Washington ranks fourth in points off turnovers per game (18.2) while Charlotte ranks 19th (15.9).
- On the road, Washington is 11-9 ATS with 15 unders and 5 overs.
- Charlotte is 10-12-1 ATS at home with 14 unders and 9 overs.
- In games where they hold opponents under 100 points, Charlotte is 8-2 and Washington is 13-1.
- In games where they reach 100 points, the Wizards are 22-9 and the Hornets are 16-10.
- The Wizards rank 13th in fast break points per game (11.3) while the Hornets rank 25th (9.3).
- Charlotte ranks first in second chance points allowed per game (9.7) while Washington ranks 23rd (13.3).
- The Wizards rank 10th in assists per game (23.0) while the Hornets rank 29th (20.5).
- The Hornets rank 16th in points in the paint per game (43.2) while the Wizards rank 17th in points allowed in the paint per game (45.1).
- Charlotte ranks third in rebounds per game (46.6) while Washington ranks 20th in rebounds allowed per game (43.8).
Betting Trends:
- Charlotte is 3-2 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Washington is 0-5 ATS with 3 overs, 1 under and 1 push.
- The Hornets have outscored opponents by an average of 4.4 points in their last five games. For the season, Charlotte has lost by an average of 0.7 points.
- During their last five games, the Wizards have scored an average of 109.2 points per game (2.4 above their season average) and allowed an average of 110.6 points per game (6.0 above their season average).
