The Charlotte Hornets (21-46) wrap up a 3-game road trip against the Detroit Pistons (15-51) Thursday. Tip-off from Little Caesars Arena will be at 7 p.m. ET in Detroit. Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Hornets vs. Pistons odds, and make our expert NBA picks and predictions.
The Hornets are looking to make it back-to-back wins after stunning the New York Knicks 112-105 Tuesday as 10-point underdogs. That win snapped a 3-game losing skid straight up and against the spread (ATS). The Hornets are in rough shape as one of the weakest teams in the NBA with G LaMelo Ball now on the shelf with a fractured ankle.
The Pistons have the worst record in the league and have lost a whopping 9 straight games and won just 4 of their last 24 outings. They have been underdogs in each game on their losing skid, going 5-4 ATS. Detroit lost 119-117 loss to the Washington Wizards as an 11-point underdog Tuesday.
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Hornets at Pistons odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:35 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Hornets -175 (bet $175 to win $100) | Pistons +150 (bet $100 to win $150)
- Against the spread (ATS): Hornets -4.5 (-105) | Pistons +4.5 (-115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 224.5 (O: -112 | U: -108)
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Hornets at Pistons key injuries
Hornets
- G LaMelo Ball (ankle) out
Pistons
- F Bojan Bogdanovic (Achilles) out
- G Alec Burks (foot) out
- G Cade Cunningham (shin) out
- G Killian Hayes (hand) probable
- C Jalen Duren (ankle) probable
- C Isaiah Stewart (shoulder) out
For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.
Hornets at Pistons picks and predictions
Prediction
Hornets 114, Pistons 107
Moneyline
Betting on the Hornets (-175) to win right now seems like a daunting proposition, especially with Ball sidelined. However, taking the Pistons (+150) and their league-worst record to beat anyone straight-up is even harder to do.
I do think the Hornets keep the momentum up and win their 2nd straight game coming off a big win over the Knicks, even if they are on the road. However, the risk of a flat performance isn’t worth the limited reward at such a steep price tag. PASS.
Against the spread
The Hornets are 6-3 ATS in their last 9 games, covering the spread easily in their most recent game against the Knicks as 10-point underdogs. The Pistons narrowly lost a 2-point affair to the Wizards but also covered the spread, their 6th ATS win in their last 10 games.
The line isn’t huge, so I’m willing to lay the points with Charlotte. BET HORNETS -4.5 (-105).
Over/Under
The Under has hit in 8 straight Hornets games and has connected in 9 of their last 10. It’s been an even split for the O/U in the Pistons’ last 10 outings. The Hornets have come short of this total in 6 straight outings.
I like the UNDER 224.5 (-108) in this matchup between two struggling teams.
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