Tonight two teams from Southeast Division clash at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte.
Charlotte Hornets are currently at 6th position in the East, with a record of 23-21. Looking at their recent form, they are ranked 3rd in the East, with 3 wins in the last 5 games. This record is not that great, but we must keep in mind, that all of the 3 wins came from the last 3 games played, in which Hornets managed to win over Portland (107:85), Toronto (113:78) and Brooklyn (112:105). Charlotte might not be shining when playing on the road (8-14), but home games are a completely different story (15-7). Looking at the recent match against Brooklyn Nets, Hornets got a 14 point lead in the 1st quarter, which seemed more than enough for them to win the game. But Nets outscored Hornets in the 3rd quarter (21:35), which resulted in a tie leading into the last 12 minutes. In the 4th quarter we could see great performance from Hornets(31:24), which got them the well deserved win (112:105). Statistics show that Hornets shot 47.6% from the field, had 6 steals and committed 13 turnovers. The visiting side shot 42.7% with 9 steals and 11 turnovers. Top scorers of the match; Lopez (24pts), Kidd-Gilchrist (17pts) and Sessions (17pts).
Washington Wizards are coming into this match as one of the hottest teams in the past 5 games, with a respectable record 4-1. They won against 76ers (109:93), Trail Blazers (120:101), Grizzlies (104:101) and Knicks (110:113), whereas Washington failed to win their recent match against Pistons (113:112). Washington away record this season is not that good, to be fair. in the past 19 games, they won only 5 and lost 14. Home record is much better (18-6), but this info does not help us today, as the match will take place in Charlotte. In the match against Pistons, Washington Wizards started really poorly. By the end of 3rd quarter they were behind by 16 points, which seemed as a clear sign of Detroit taking a W. However, Wizards fought back in the last 12 minutes, but were 1 point short for OT. Match ended in 113:112 for Detroit Pistons. We could see Wizards shot with 42.9% accuracy, committing 11 turnovers and accumulated 12 steals. Pistons had a better FG% (49.4%), but had more turnovers to their name (20) and less steals (9). Top scorers of the match were Morris Marc. (25pts), Jackson (19pts), Wall (19pts) and Morris Mark. (19pts).
Verdict & Prediction
Form wise, Washington seem to be in a better position, but with their last defeat I am concerned about the effect on the morale it had. Hornets on the other side are on a 3 game winning streak after a disappointing 5 consecutive losses. In addition, Hornets are undefeated at home in the past 4 games, whereas Wizards won only 2 out of 5 away games. For this one I am leaning towards Hornets.
Prediction: Charlotte Hornets -4.5
Odds: 1.89 SBOBET
Other prediction for today: Chaves v Nacional – Primeira Liga
