The Portland Trail Blazers will look to break a four-game losing streak and get back to their former winning ways as they host the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night.
These teams have been struggling to score consistently as of late, which has me targeting the Under in my Hornets vs. Trail Blazers predictions.
Let’s take a closer look at this matchup in my free NBA picks for Saturday, February 22.
Hornets vs Trail Blazers prediction
My best bet
Under 225.5 (-110 at bet365)
My analysis
Neither the Charlotte Hornets nor the Portland Trail Blazers can be described as offensive juggernauts, as they are two of the few teams in the NBA averaging less than 110 points per game (109.1 for Portland, 106.3 for Charlotte).
Neither plays at a fast pace, and both rank near the bottom of the league in offensive rating.
In some ways, those are surprising numbers. LaMelo Ball (27.3 ppg) has been one of the best scorers in the NBA this season when healthy, and Charlotte has two other players averaging 20+ ppg in Brandon Miller (21.0 ppg) and Miles Bridges (20.2 ppg).
But Miller is now out for the season after undergoing surgery on his wrist, and a combination of a lack of talented depth, injuries, and trades has left the team struggling to find consistent offensive production beyond its stars.
The Hornets have lost 10 of their last 12 games, and it’s mostly down to a lack of offensive production.
In that stretch, Charlotte has been held to 100 points or less four times and has only scored 110+ points three times.
That’s simply not enough production to compete regularly in the NBA.
Portland’s scoring woes haven’t been quite as drastic, but it has also ranked near the bottom of the league in most offensive categories this year.
In their four-game losing streak, the Blazers are averaging 109.5 ppg, continuing a trend that has seen the team just barely get by on offense even when things are going well.
The Trail Blazers have the depth that Charlotte does not, with seven different players averaging double figures and young emerging stars like Shaedon Sharpe (17.0 ppg) and Scoot Henderson (12.4 ppg) developing rapidly.
The problem in Portland has been finding a true leading scorer who can consistently get good looks down the stretch.
Anfernee Simons (18.4 ppg) has taken on that role most often, but he’s not the kind of scorer Ball is for the Hornets.
That leaves us with two teams struggling to find points. The Under is 5-2 in Charlotte’s last seven games and 4-2 in the last six for Portland.
With neither team looking to play fast or trending toward better offensive production, I’m taking the Under tonight.
Hornets vs Trail Blazers same-game parlay
Under 225.5
Portland Trail Blazers ML
Shaedon Sharpe Under 14.5 points
Both teams will struggle to score the ball tonight, and that’s why I’m taking the Under. But the Blazers are the better team here, and I think that should lead to Portland snapping its four-game losing streak.
Both teams are struggling, and I’m not even comfortable laying the points, but Portland has more depth and overall talent and should be able to grab a home win.
I’ll also take Shaedon Sharpe to come in Under his scoring total of 14.5 points.
While Sharpe is averaging 17.0 ppg on the year, his scoring production has been notably lower as of late, as he’s gone for 14 points or less in each of his last four games.
With the slow pace I expect tonight, the smart money is on the former Kentucky standout to score less than 15 points again.
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Hornets vs Trail Blazers odds
Hornets vs Trail Blazers live odds
Hornets vs Trail Blazers opening odds
- Spread: Charlotte +5.5 (-110) | Portland -5.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Charlotte (+185) | Portland (-225)
- Over/Under: Over 219.5 (-110) | Under 219.5 (-110)
Odds courtesy of bet365
Hornets vs Trail Blazers spread and Over/Under analysis
- The Hornets are 29-23-2 against the spread this season, with the Trail Blazers posting a similar 31-24-1 ATS record.
- Portland is 5-1 ATS against Charlotte in the last six meetings between these two teams.
- The Under is 33-20-1 in Charlotte’s games this season and also has a 29-26-1 edge when Portland has played.
- The Trail Blazers are averaging a total of 223.8 ppg this year, while the Hornets are playing to an average total of 218.1 ppg.
Hornets vs Trail Blazers trend
The Under is 4-1 in Charlotte’s last five games overall. Find more NBA betting trends for Hornets vs. Trail Blazers.
How to watch Hornets vs Trail Blazers
| Location | Moda Center, Portland, OR |
| Date | Saturday, 2-22-2025 |
| Tip-off | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | FDSN, KUNP |
Hornets vs Trail Blazers latest injuries
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