Charlotte Hornets vs Indiana Pacers.
Stadium: Spectrum Center, Charlotte.
Last season, Indiana inflicted a painful defeat on Charlotte in a wild-card round game. In the first game of the new championship, the Hornets have a chance for revenge. Will they take advantage of it? Here are a few options to bet on the NBA regular season.
Charlotte sign another Ball
Last season, the young team under James Borrego looked very good and deservedly earned the right to play in games for extra playoff berths. However, that meeting with Indiana was the end of it. Nevertheless, the Hornets can take credit for the season. No one would have expected them to be as successful as they were.
The team enters the new league, having strengthened its roster somewhat. In addition to LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward, and others, Kelly Oubre, who was unable to make it in Golden State but played well for Phoenix, was added to the roster. Another newcomer is centre Mason Plumlee, expected to solve the team’s problems in the three-zone. Charlotte will get stronger.
The signing of another Ball, LiAngelo, brother of Lamelo and Lonzo, should not be overlooked. Let’s see if the newcomer manages to follow in the footsteps of his quite successful brothers.
Indiana could now be headed for the East’s contenders
With the departure of head coach Nate McMillan, the Pacers under Nate Bjorkgren expectedly flew past the playoffs, losing to Washington in the deciding game of the wild-card round. The team enters the new season with a new head coach. And it’s Rick Carlisle himself! The specialist who made Dallas the league champion left his job for many years due to the last championship.
The Pacers’ roster didn’t change much in the offseason, but it was also well-staffed. With Carlisle at the helm, the team with Domantas Sabonis, T.J. Warren, Malcolm Brogdon, Jeremy Lamb, T.J. McConnell, and Miles Turner look poised to challenge for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
Expert Betting Tips
Indiana, under the leadership of such an experienced specialist as Rick Carlisle, should transform. This team has everything they need to succeed. Charlotte, on the other hand, are an incredibly talented but still very young team. On top of that, neither Plumlee nor, presumably, Miles Bridges will be playing in the upcoming game. Who’s to stop Sabonis? Vernon Carey? It looks like the Lithuanian will have an incredible amount of space.
Betting options:
- Handicap 2 (+3) for 1.83;
- W2 for 2.10;
- Individual Total 2 Over 111 for 1.90.
Other predictions
