In the second set of play-in games, the Charlotte Hornets will face the Atlanta Hawks. The Hornets finished the regular season on a three-game winning streak and will look to continue it.
However, they’ll be without Gordon Hayward in this game, which could cost them some scoring. The good news is that they aren’t the only team dealing with a ton of injuries on Wednesday.
The Atlanta Hawks will be without three players that make an impact on both sides of the ball. One of these players is John Collins, the starting power forward. If he was in, he’d be in charge of guarding Miles Bridges, the Hornets’ leading scorer. Remember all thee predictions come from our Computer Picks.
Without Collins, the Hawks will have to hope that their backups can guard Bridges. So, who has the best chance of winning this game?
Game Preview: Charlotte Hornets at Atlanta Hawks
The Hornets are among the top five scoring offenses in the NBA. With an average of 115.33 points per game, the Hornets rank fourth overall in the league. LaMelo Ball is responsible for orchestrating this offense and leading it to 43 wins this season.
On average, Ball tallies 7.6 assists per game, along with 1.6 steals. Charlotte is 2-1 against the Atlanta Hawks this year.
The Hawks are no slouch on offense either, ranking sixth in the NBA. However, one of their biggest problems is defense, where they rank 21st overall.
On average, the Hawks allow 112.38 points per game, which could be a problem against the Hornets. If they can’t find a way to stop Bridges and Ball, the game won’t go their way. Now more than ever, the Hawks need defense.
Against the Spread: Charlotte Hornets +5
We love the spread in this game, and even more, we’ll take Charlotte to win it without the points. Charlotte has had the Hawks’ number this entire year, recently beating them 116-106.
We expect a similar outcome in this game. Although some may be worried about taking the Hornets on the road, we wouldn’t. This season, the Hornets are 23-17-1 against the spread on the road.
The Total: UNDER 236
This might come as a shocker to some, but we’re going to go with the under in this one. Not because there won’t be a lot of offense, but because the Hawks are missing players.
Above we mentioned, John Collins was out for this game, but he’s not the only one. Guards Lou Williams and Chaundee Brown are also out, leaving the Hawks with holes on their bench.
To Score 20+ Points: LaMelo Ball (-265)
One of the keys to a Hornets win is the performance of LaMelo Ball. He’ll be guarded by Trae Young, who is a speedy, but small defender.
Ball will make use of his size advantage against Young and his ability to score from range. On average, LaMelo Ball averages 20.1 points per game; it isn’t a stretch for him to go over 20 here.
Player Points: Miles Bridges OVER 22.5 (-104)
On average, Miles Bridges scores 26.0 points per game against the Atlanta Hawks. This is an easy single-game parlay to add, especially since John Collins is out. Look for Bridges to dominate the paint tonight and earn a win for the Hornets.