Lakers vs Hornets Picks and Predictions: LeBron Takes Sting Out of Charlotte

The Los Angeles Lakers will look to close out their five-game road trip with a win when they visit the struggling Charlotte Hornets tonight.

The Lakers are 2-2 on the trip, with LeBron James scoring 47 over the Atlanta Hawks in Friday's win. Charlotte has lost three of four, but the Hornets did beat the Lakers in their last meeting in Los Angeles.

The Lakers need to beat teams like Charlotte if they want to get back into the playoff race, and they’ll need a big performance out of LeBron to get the job done. I’ll break down whether James can lead Los Angeles to victory in my NBA picks and predictions for Lakers vs. Hornets.

Lakers vs Hornets best odds

Lakers vs Hornets picks and predictions

Even this far into his career, LeBron James shows few signs of slowing down. The 18-time All-Star is averaging 28.5 points and 8.1 rebounds, both above his career averages despite battling a lingering ankle injury for most of the year.

James celebrated his 38th birthday in style on Friday, pouring in 47 points and grabbing 10 rebounds while dishing out nine assists in a near-triple-double performance against the Hawks. It’s a sign of what the Lakers (15-21) need out of LeBron to win games, as Los Angeles continues to lean on its aging superstar to find victories in an otherwise disappointing season.

It would seem like tonight’s game against the Hornets (10-27) is the perfect opportunity to improve the Lakers’ record. However, when these teams met less than two weeks ago in Los Angeles, it was Charlotte that emerged with the 134-130 win. With the Hornets playing host tonight, this is anything but a walkover for the Lakers.

That said, LeBron still had a big game in that December 23 loss, going for 34 points. It just wasn’t quite enough to drag his team over the finish line for a much-needed win.

It’s not surprising that these teams combined for 264 points, as they are two of the fastest-paced teams in the NBA, and neither plays particularly sound defense. The Lakers like to run the court and score 116 points per game, while the Hornets give up 118 points a night. Teams are also fairly efficient against Charlotte, which allows opponents to shoot 48.1% from the field. 

There will be plenty of possessions, and that means lots of chances for James to score. And with the Hornets failing to stop much of anything, you can be sure that LeBron will cash in on most of his opportunities. James went 15-for-23 from the field against Charlotte. That’s the kind of efficient performance that bodes well for another big stat line on Monday, especially if LeBron can get to the line at all.

Most sportsbooks are offering a points-scored prop on James at 31.5 points. I’m looking to take the Over on that bet, though we should do a little line shopping to get the best odds possible. You can reduce the juice a bit by finding an Over 32.5 instead, but I’m more comfortable at the lower number, even if I have to give up a little potential profit to drop that number by a point. There are some good values out there at Over 31.5, and that’s where I’m putting my money.

My best bet: LeBron James Over 31.5 points (-115)

Lakers vs Hornets spread analysis

Most sites opened the Hornets as a one-point favorite tonight, and that’s where the line remains pretty much across the board. 

Given that Charlotte won the first meeting between these teams in Los Angeles a couple of weeks ago, NBA odds appear reluctant to make the Lakers a favorite here. That’s understandable, but as much as we all see Los Angeles as an old, disappointing team, the Lakers are still better than the Hornets, who are more interested in competing for a lottery pick than trying to make a playoff run.

This matchup should generally work out well for the Lakers. Charlotte is not an explosive offensive team, averaging just 111.3 points per game despite playing quickly. In other words, the Hornets often find themselves in shootouts but are rarely equipped to win them, while the Lakers can at least say they can score with just about anyone in the NBA.

With LeBron now probable for tonight’s game, I expect him to have a big night while finding a way to win this game on the road. As bad as the Lakers have been, they should still beat bad teams, and they should stay in the race for a play-in spot going forward. That means winning games like this one in Charlotte. Take the point, or take the Lakers on the moneyline tonight.

Lakers vs Hornets Over/Under analysis

Tonight’s total opened at a robust 241, and it has only gone up from there. The consensus Over/Under now sits at 242.5, and you can find some 243 totals as of noon on Monday.

Not that we’re surprised by that number, of course. These teams push the pace and drive totals up constantly. As I mentioned above, they combined for 264 points in their first meeting, and that game ended in regulation. Both teams shot well over 50% from the field, and they combined for 35 made 3-pointers. 

We can’t expect that kind of shooting performance again, however, and that makes the Over a little scary. The Lakers are coming off a total of 251 against the Hawks, but otherwise haven’t hit 240 since the game against Charlotte. Likewise, the Hornets haven’t played to a total of 240 or more since facing off against the Lakers. 

Despite that, I’m still playing the Over tonight. These teams have shown that when they play opponents who like to move the ball, they’ll run with them. Put them together on the court, and we can expect a lot of points in transition along with very little defense. I doubt we’ll blow by the total like in the last meeting, but Over 242.5 is my bet.

Lakers vs Hornets betting trend to know

The Lakers are 10-2 against the spread in their last 12 games against teams with losing records. Find more NBA betting trends for Lakers vs. Hornets.

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