Charlotte Hornets vs Atlanta Hawks: Are bookmakers underestimating Hornets?

In an inter-conference match-up, the Atlanta Hawks host the Charlotte Hornets. Hawks are two games under 50% win record but are on a three-game win streak, meanwhile, the Hornets are three games above that mark and are on fire with 5 games in a row. For a quick overview, head to the “Notes” section.

Something seems to be missing: After a slow start, the team has won the last three games but despite the wins, the team isn’t looking like the outfit that reached the Conference Finals last season. Thanks to the homestand, the team has notched gained some steam but with Eastern Conference becoming more competitive, the team will need to continue this fire. In the last three games, Hawks have held the opponents to 100 or less two times in three games while scoring 110, 129, 120 in the wins.

Trae is the truth: Trae Young leads the team in assists by a long distance. He leads them in scoring too and has had even scored 42 points in one of the games during the win streak. He has received major help from John Collins who averages around 17 points and can pin down 8-10 rebounds regularly. Capela has improved as the season has progressed and the same goes for Bogdanovic. The Hawks are tenth in points per game with around 109.0 and their 36.5% from three places them in the top-five.

Sizzling offense and improved defense: There is no doubt that the Charlotte Hornets outfit can put up points at a high clip. The team has ranked second in terms of points per game with around 112 points but it has been their defense that has improved during the win streak. Hornets, which was giving 115-120 points away early in the season but recently, the team has held two teams below 100 points and has been much more disciplined at that end. While Charlotte may not end the season as an elite defensive squad but in high-scoring games, they also have a high chance.

How does the offense work so well?: Although it is LaMelo Ball who sprinkles magic with his top-notch offensive game and superb court vision, Miles Bridges has been a revelation. The two players combine for about 40 points per game but overall this team is full of isolation specialists. Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward, and Kelly Oubre Jr. can also eke out 15 points or so regularly and can create their offense well. The offense is not a problem for the Hornets who just have too many options, if they defend well, they can be one of the favorites in the East.

Here are some quick hitters related to the game:

• Hawks are 6-1 at home and are on a three-game win streak.
• Hornets have won five games in a row but four of them have been at home. It will be interesting to see how they do away from home. They are 4-5 on the road.
• Five players average above 13 points per game for the Hornets.
• Hornets hand over around 26.2 Assists per game and are in the top five in that category.
• Hornets shoot around 37% from beyond the three-point line which is among top-five too.
• Hawks force around 12 turnovers per game and are bottom-five in that category.
• Hornets hand over 2 assists for every turnover.
• Hawks allow around 109.5 points while Hornets allow 113.3 points per game. This can be a potential shoot-out between the two squads.
• DeAndre Hunter will remain out for this year at least.
• PJ Washington missed the last game against the Pacers.
• Do check the injury report before placing bets.

Well, this is a tough one to predict. Both teams are playing some of the best basketball they have this season. It is clear that both teams can allow a ton of points and this can be a high-scoring game. To be honest, the Hornets have more weapons to dispose of on the offensive end while the Hawks have done a great job at limiting teams at home.

Prediction: Hornets will pile up 6th victory in a row and win a high-scoring contest away from home.

• Win: Charlotte Hornets for 3.1;
• W2 and Total Under 235.5 for 3.64;
• Game Lines 3-Way: CHA Hornets +6.0 for 1.86.