Hornets vs Celtics Picks and Predictions: Boston Takes Sting Out of Charlotte

For much of the season, the Boston Celtics have not been in the playoff picture, but winning four of their last five has pushed them back into the thick of the play-in bracket. A win against the Charlotte Hornets tonight would propel Boston toward the top of that tier, somewhere it should have been all along.

Here are our free NBA betting picks and predictions for the Hornets at the Celtics on February 2, with tip set for 7:30 ET.

Hornets vs Celtics odds

This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.

The Celtics opened as 4.5-point home favorites on Tuesday night, but that began to rise Wednesday morning, reaching -5.5 before you had your second coffee and -6.5 by the end of the lunch hour. The total also rose, opening at 220.5 early in the morning and then jumping to 223.5 within a few hours. It peaked at 225.5 before dropping back down to and remaining at 223.5.

Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until tip-off and be sure to check out the full NBA odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.

Hornets vs Celtics predictions

• Prediction: Celtics -6 (-110)
• Prediction: Under 223.5 (-110)
• Best bet: Celtics -6 (-110)

Predictions made on 2/2/2022 at 2:10 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.

Hornets vs Celtics game info

• Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA
• Date: Wednesday, February 2, 2022
• Tip-off: 7:30 p.m. ET
• TV: NBCSB, BSSE-CHA

Hornets vs Celtics betting preview

Injuries

Hornets: Kelly Oubre SF (Probable), Gordon Hayward SF (Out), Jalen McDaniels PF (Out).
Celtics: P.J. Dozier SG (Questionable), Bol Bol C (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.

Betting trend to know

The Celtics are 4-0 against the spread in their last four games as a favorite, all since January 23. Find more NBA betting trends for Hornets vs. Celtics.

Hornets vs Celtics picks and predictions

Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.

Spread analysis

After months of anxiety and criticism, the Celtics may finally be turning things around. Not only are they on 4-1 in their last five, but they have covered the spread in all four of those wins. The quick surge has pushed Boston two games above .500 and comfortably into the play-in standings, just 1.5 games behind the Hornets.

In the long run — at least as far as this season is concerned — there is still plenty of reason to think the Celtics will move ahead of Charlotte in the standings. Boston should at least host a play-in game if not even escape the bracket entirely. Their point differential alone underscores how much better the Celtics are than their record reflects.

Boston outscores its opponent by an average of 3.4 points per game. That's the third-best mark in the East, behind only the Cavaliers (+4.6) and the Heat (+3.7). It is hard to envision the Celtics as the No. 3 seed, but their positive differential is more in line with the top five of the East than it is the play-in ranks, otherwise led by Toronto’s +1.0 differential.

Charlotte, meanwhile, has been outscored by its opponents by 0.1 points per game.

Variance aside, Boston is still a strong team led by a pair of outstanding two-way wings in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Meanwhile, the Hornets are not yet the contender they're masquerading as no matter how impressive LaMelo Ball has been in his sophomore season. 

When looking at this matchup with that perspective, Boston being favored by six makes more sense, especially on its current hot streak. No matter what the standings may say, the Celtics are notably better than the Hornets.

Prediction: Celtics -6 (-110)

Over/Under analysis

Again, the existential angst of the Celtics fanbase distracts us from the reality that Boston is still the staunch defensive force we've watched for a few years now. The Celtics have the No. 4 defensive rating in the league this season, something underscored in recent weeks by holding four of their last five opponents to fewer than 100 points.

The instinctive counterpoint is how good the Hornets' 5th-ranked offense has been this season. But when you look at the last 10 games, Charlotte falls to No. 16 in offensive rating.

In that same stretch, the Celtics have had the No. 1 defensive rating in the league, buoyed by holding opponents to 46.6% from the field. If anything, that number might further improve tonight, given the Hornets are shooting 45.8% from the field in their last 10.

The best aspect of either team on the court tonight will be Boston’s defense, which should set the tone in a slog.

Prediction: Under 223.5 (-110)

Best bet

Ball’s sophomore season has been impressive and — at times — delightful, averaging 19.5 points, 7.7 assists, and 7.2 rebounds per game. But he has not been particularly efficient when calling his own number.

Ball is shooting 42.3% from the floor while taking 16.6 shots per game. He hits only 35.7% of his attempts from deep, which is an issue as he's taking a whopping 7.1 per game. Ball shoots 88.2% from the free-throw line but he barely gets there, reaching the stripe only 3.3 times per game.

For Charlotte to spring an upset tonight and give itself a cushion as it attempts to host a play-in game, Ball may be needed to find some efficiency. Against a defense that has been making that increasingly difficult for opponents, it is more likely Boston forces Ball to shoot the Hornets out of the game and into a near three-way tie for the seven, eight, and nine seeds in the East (along with the Raptors).

Pick: Celtics -6 (-110)

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