The Charlotte Hornets and San Antonio Spurs open their seasons Wednesday at AT&T Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Hornets vs. Spurs odds, and our expert NBA picks and predictions.
The Hornets finished 10th in the Eastern Conference last season with a 43-39 record and lost in the Play-In Game 132-103 at the Atlanta Hawks. Charlotte was 8th in the league in offensive rating (113.6) but also 22nd in defensive rating (113.1). Then-coach James Borrego was fired in the offseason and replaced by former Orlando Magic coach Steve Clifford.
F Miles Bridges’ status for the season remains uncertain as he awaits a preliminary hearing in his felony domestic violence case. Bridges led Charlotte last season with 20.2 points per game.
The Spurs traded All-Star combo guard Dejounte Murray to the Hawks in the offseason after finishing 10th in the Western Conference with a 34-48 record.
San Antonio is tied with the Magic, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder and Sacramento Kings for the worst odds to win the NBA Finals at +50000.
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Hornets at Spurs odds
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:15 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Hornets -112 (bet $112 to win $100) | Spurs -108 (bet $108 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Hornets -1.5 (-101) | Spurs +1.5 (-120)
- Over/Under (O/U): 221.5 (O: -112 | U: -108)
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Hornets at Spurs key injuries
Hornets
- PG LaMelo Ball (ankle) out
Spurs
- None
For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.
Hornets at Spurs picks and predictions
Prediction
Spurs 111, Hornets 107
Moneyline
BET SPURS (-108).
A red flag to watch out for in the NBA is teams playing without their star player. Many times, oddsmakers will over-adjust to the news and there is value on the injury-riddled team.
However, Ball’s injury combined with Bridges’ absence is too much of a loss for the Hornets. The Spurs should win straight up and I would bet them on the ML until they become a slight favorite.
Against the spread
BET SPURS +1.5 (-120).
This number was Spurs +2.5 (-110) Tuesday, so you are getting the worse number by not betting it early. However, the Spurs are still undervalued in this spot. Charlotte needs to be downgraded this season due to the uncertainty with Bridges. In addition, Ball is the primary ball-handler for the Hornets and his injury combined with the Spurs at full strength should’ve made San Antonio the favorite. Take the points with the Spurs.
Over/Under
PASS.
The Over was 4-0 in the Hornets’ final 4 road games last season and the Under is 8-3 in the last 11 head-to-head meetings in San Antonio. There are too many conflicting trends here for me to confidently bet the total. Both teams are also very different this year since they will be playing without their leading scorers from last season (Bridges, Murray).
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