The Charlotte Hornets and Brooklyn Nets get together for an Eastern Conference showdown on Monday. The Hornets are 1-1 and the Nets are 0-2 this season, with Brooklyn sweeping the four-game season series in 2022-23. Miles Bridges (suspension), Cody Martin (knee), James Bouknight (knee), and Frank Ntilikina (tibia) are out for Charlotte. Nicolas Claxton (ankle) and Cameron Johnson (calf) are out for Brooklyn.
Tip-off is at 7 p.m. ET from the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. SportsLine consensus lists Charlotte as a 1-point favorite, while the over/under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 227.5 in the latest Nets vs. Hornets odds. Before making any Hornets vs. Nets picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five seasons. The model enters Week 2 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a 77-41 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning nearly $3,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Nets vs. Hornets and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Hornets vs. Nets:
Nets vs. Hornets spread: Nets +1
Nets vs. Hornets over/under: 227.5 points
Nets vs. Hornets money line: Nets -102, Hornets -118
Brooklyn: The Nets are 24-20 against the spread in the last 44 road games
Charlotte: The Hornets are 17-26 against the spread in the last 43 home games
Nets vs. Hornets picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Nets can cover
Brooklyn’s offense is off to a flying start in 2023-24. The Nets are scoring more than 1.15 points per possession and shooting 42.9% from beyond the 3-point arc. Brooklyn is also shooting 49.4% from the field and 80.6% from the free throw line while generating 30.0 assists per game. The Nets are also securing 31.6% of available rebounds after missed shots, and potent guard Cameron Thomas is averaging 33.0 points per game on 62.5% shooting.
On the other side, Brooklyn is in the top 10 of the league in free throw prevention, assist prevention, and defensive rebound rate in the early going, and that comes after a very solid defensive season in 2022-23. The Nets held opponents to 46.3% shooting from the field and 51.8% from 2-point range last season, and Brooklyn also led the league with 6.2 blocked shots per game. With Charlotte shooting just 27.7% from 3-point range and committing more than 18 giveaways per game, Brooklyn’s defense should be in a favorable position. See which team to pick here.
Why the Hornets can cover
Charlotte is led by a dynamic creating guard in LaMelo Ball, who averaged 23.3 points and 8.4 assists per game a season ago. He also scored 20 points, dished out nine assists and grabbed nine rebounds in Charlotte’s most recent game, and Ball keys a group that is averaging 27.0 assists per game this season. The Hornets are also in the top five of the NBA with 30.0 free throw attempts per contest, and Brooklyn’s defense is struggling in the early going.
The Nets are allowing 119.5 points per 100 possessions and 40.5% 3-point shooting to opponents while forcing fewer than ten turnovers per game. On the other end, Charlotte is stout to this point, giving up fewer than 1.05 points per possession and 25.4% 3-point shooting. The Hornets are creating 18.0 turnovers per game in 2023-24, and Charlotte was also firmly in the top 10 of the NBA in steals (7.7 per game) and blocks (5.2 per game) a season ago. See which team to pick here.
How to make Hornets vs. Nets picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Under on the point total, projecting 225 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits nearly 70% of the time. You can only see the model’s NBA picks at SportsLine.