The Charlotte Hornets and the Boston Celtics will wrap up their regular seasons with two games this weekend at TD Garden beginning on Friday night.
Neither team has much motivation to go all-out in these games, and I’ll be taking the Under tonight in my Hornets vs. Celtics predictions.
Let’s look at how bettors should approach this late-season battle in my free NBA picks for Friday, April 11.
Hornets vs Celtics prediction
My best bet: Under 214.5 (-110 at bet365)
My analysis
There will be few games this season with lower stakes than the final two games between Boston and Charlotte. The Boston Celtics are locked into the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, while the Charlotte Hornets aren’t going to be able to further improve their draft lottery odds. Boston will want to stay healthy, while Charlotte just gets some run for young players against quality competition.
That can make it tricky for bettors to approach a game like this, but I think there’s a clear angle in tonight’s game. Boston is coming off a game against the Orlando Magic where it scored just 76 points in a 20-point loss, resulting in a total of just 172 points. And while we’re not going to see a performance like that again tonight – especially with most of the Celtics starters back in the lineup for at least some minutes – it’s a sign of just how little Boston is worried about the last few games on its schedule.
We don’t generally have to worry about the Hornets putting up many points. Charlotte is averaging just 105.5 ppg on the year offensively, the second-lowest total in the NBA. If anything, the Hornets have been even less effective as of late, being held to 100 points or less in four of their last eight games.
Boston is likely to add to that total. The Celtics have allowed a league-low 107.6 ppg on the season, and are fifth in the NBA in defensive rating (110.4). They should be especially effective against a Charlotte tam that is dead last in the NBA in effective field goal percentage (50.4%) and true shooting percentage (53.9%), and which is unlikely to get many second-chance points against a Celtics squad that is better than it on the boards.
The capstone to all these numbers is the fact that Boston and Charlotte both rank in the bottom seven in pace, with the Celtics being the second-slowest team in the NBA. That means there won’t be many possessions, there won’t be much scoring (especially for the Hornets) on those possessions, and the starters on both sides aren’t going to be playing a huge number of minutes. Even with a low total set because of these factors, I’m still taking the Under.
Hornets vs Celtics same-game parlay
Under 214.5
Hornets +19.5
Jayson Tatum 7+ rebounds
With the expectation of a low-scoring game tonight, it only makes sense to take one of the biggest bounties of points we’ve been offered all season. The Hornets are getting 19.5 points tonight, and while that’s probably an accurate representation of the gap between these teams, we have to consider the lack of motivation for the Celtics, who probably won’t give their starters excess minutes – and won’t be playing Jaylen Brown at all.
While I think Charlotte will cover, that’s not an endorsement of the Hornets. There will be plenty of missed shots tonight, and the Hornets don’t have a presence capable of banging on the boards like Jayson Tatum. With most of their starters back in the lineup, I expect the Celtics to dominate the rebounding battle, and Tatum should take advantage of that, as he has collected seven or more boards in six of his last seven games overall.
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Hornets vs Celtics odds
Hornets vs Celtics live odds
Hornets vs Celtics opening odds
- Spread: Charlotte +19 (-110) | Boston -19 (-110)
- Moneyline: Charlotte +1200 | Boston -2400
- Over/Under: Over 214.5 (-110) | Under 214.5 (-110)
Odds courtesy of bet365
Hornets vs Celtics spread and Over/Under analysis
- These teams have similar records against the spread this year, with the Hornets going 36-42-2 ATS and the Celtics putting up a 37-42-1 ATS record.
- Boston is 2-0 against Charlotte this year, with the teams splitting the games 1-1 against the spread.
- The Under is 47-31-2 in Hornets games this season, and also holds a 43-36-1 edge when the Celtics have played this year.
- Charlotte is playing to an average total of 219.8 ppg this season, while Boston is averaging a total of 224.0 ppg.
Hornets vs Celtics trend
The Celtics have hit the Under in three of their last four games overall. Find more NBA betting trends for Hornets vs. Celtics.
How to watch Hornets vs Celtics
| Location | TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts |
| Date | Friday, 4-11-2025 |
| Tip-off | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | FanDuel Sports Network-SE-Charlotte, NBCSB |
Hornets vs Celtics latest injuries
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