This isn’t going to be the nationally televised game on ESPN or Peacock or wherever it is you can watch basketball these days, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I had a morbid curiosity about matchups like this.
The Pacers come into this tilt having lost their last eight games. The Hornets are actually looking half-way decent in 2025-26, yet they’ve dropped eight of their last 10. Trust me when I say, this isn’t a playoff preview of any kind.
Still, someone has to win. Which team in need of a victory will pick one up on Wednesday? Let’s preview tonight’s game with the help of some of some odds and lines on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
Hornets vs. Pacers prediction, preview
While the end result was yet another loss, the Pacers did get some good news on Monday, with wing Bennedict Mathurin returning from an 11-game injury absence in a 127-112 defeat at the hands of the Pistons. To say Indiana threw the former lottery pick immediately back into the fire would be an understatement. Mathurin logged only 25.2 minutes, yet he’d finish with 25 points and a team-high 39.8% usage rate. That might say more about the Pacers’ lack of scoring options outside of Pascal Siakam than anything else, yet it also shows a strong belief in Mathurin’s abilities on the court. The 23-year-old could be on the precipice of a breakout campaign if he can stay healthy. In his three starts in 2025-26, Mathurin is averaging an absurd 41.9 points per 100 possessions. It’s a small sample, but damn.
Things in Charlotte are much more optimistic — despite a 4-10 record that has the Hornets sitting squarely in 12th place in the Eastern Conference. First and foremost, former All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball is healthy again, having suited up in two recent contests following a five-game injury absence. For the season, Ball is averaging 22.0 points and 9.6 assists across his eight starts. However, he’s yet to log more than 28 minutes since his return, so it’s safe to assume Ball remains under a slight usage restriction.
Charlotte nearly left Toronto with a hard-fought victory on Monday, blowing a late lead and losing 110-108 on a walk-off block from Scottie Barnes. Still, the Hornets were very competitive on the road with a red-hot opponent, and for 2025-26 as a whole, the team’s -3.2 net rating puts in far closer to the Bucks (-1.0) and the Bulls (-0.4) than it does the Pacers (-14.6) or the Wizards (-16.1). Kon Knueppel once again led Charlotte in points against the Raptors, dropping 24 on 9-of-16 shooting. He also added seven rebounds. The fourth-overall pick in this summer’s NBA Draft looks like a legit prospect and it feels like the Hornets might have finally nailed another top five pick. That’s more than enough to have spirits high around this franchise.
Hornets vs. Pacers pick, best bet
Best Bet: Hornets ML (-125)
Maybe this bet is too chalky, but the Hornets truly aren’t as poor as their record indicates — as evidenced by their expected win total and their net rating. As you would anticipate, Charlotte’s also been at its best when LaMelo Ball is available, as the team has outscored opponents by 5.2 points per 100 possessions with the guard on the floor this season.
