It’s an NBA Cup night, bringing colorful courts and additional stakes to Friday night’s schedule. The Celtics are near the top of the Eastern Conference in the standings and are looking great for the most part ahead of tonight’s road game in Charlotte. The Hornets are at home to host, but they haven’t started the season well and have dropped five straight games while also dealing with the absence of one of their young stars, who made his season debut earlier in the week but aggravated an injury that’ll leave him out again tonight.
Read on for a full preview, prediction and pick for Friday’s Celtics vs. Hornets matchup, courtesy of odds on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Celtics vs. Hornets prediction, preview
The Celtics are likely contenders once again, even after pivoting off star Jaylen Brown via trade this offseason. They’re 6-2 overall and 1-0 in NBA Cup play, ranked eighth in NETRTG at +6.1. Their defense remains one of the best in the league as expected, sitting sixth in opponent PPG allowed (108.2) and 10th in DEFRTG. It’s something of a calling card for them under Joe Mazzulla, as has their perimeter-happy approach on offense. The C’s still rank eighth in 3PA with 40.4 per game, though their 35.3% 3P% and 45.1% FG% mean they’re around the middle of the pack in terms of efficiency. They’re 14th in scoring with 114.2 PPG, while their OFFRTG falls seventh in the league.
Jayson Tatum predictably leads the team with 27.0 PPG, but his 7.9 assists per game are also a team high as he fully takes the reins on the offense. His 6.0 rebounds are also second on the roster behind only Neemias Queta. Paul George – the centerpiece of the summer’s blockbuster trade – brings 21.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists per outing with efficient scoring and 2.6 steals a night. Payton Pritchard is questionable tonight, but averages 13.0 PPG when active, and fellow guard Derrick White posts 12.8 points and 5.1 dimes per outing.
The Hornets made a blockbuster trade of their own this offseason, sending star point guard LaMelo Ball packing. The team looked strong enough over the second half of last season that perhaps the front office projected growth this year even in Ball’s absence, but thus far, they’re only 3-6 overall and 0-1 in NBA Cup competition. It’s tough not to attribute some of the struggles to the absence of Kon Knueppel, who was incredible as a rookie last season but missed the first eight games of his sophomore campaign due to injury. While he made his debut on Wednesday, he played only a handful of minutes before aggravating the hamstring injury that sidelined him early on and has since been ruled out for tonight. A big jump from the league’s lowest-scoring offense – averaging only 98.1 PPG and falling last in OFFRTG – isn’t likely without him, especially since the Hornets are still 30th in FG% (40.4%) and 28th in 3P% (29.6%). Their defense is 10th in PPG allowed at 109.2, but also 20th in DEFRTG. All in all, it leaves Charlotte 27th in NETRTG at -11.6.
Brandon Miller leads the way with 22.0 PPG thus far, but his efficiency woes are hard to overstate with a 35.9% FG% and a 26.7% 3P%. Naz Reid, a newcomer to the franchise, is second in scoring and rebounding with 16.9 points and 8.3 boards per game. Grayson Allen has been awesome as a secondary option with 15.7 PPG and a blazing 49.2% 3P%, so his play has certainly been a positive in his first season with Charlotte. However, Dennis Schroder and Moussa Diabate – both starters in key roles – are out tonight.
Celtics vs. Hornets pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Celtics as a 9.5-point favorite on the road tonight with -375 odds on the Moneyline. The Hornets are a +298 underdog to win outright at home with the total set at 206.5 combined points.
That 9.5-point spread should be no problem for Boston. The Celtics’ offense hasn’t been stellar for the most part, topping 115 points only three times in eight games. However, they’re now taking on a Charlotte squad that allows opponents to shoot 38.9% from distance, which ranks 27th among all defenses. That’s a matchup Boston can exploit from beyond the arc. Moreover, the C’s have a defense that can key in plenty on the struggling Miller to make life difficult on him, forcing anyone else on the Hornets’ roster to step up and hit shots. Down three starters, banking on them to muster enough scoring from other sources to keep this competitive is a very tough sell.
As such, we should see this game enter blowout territory by the final stages, if not earlier in the matchup. Boston can easily cover against an opponent devoid of higher-quality talent with the worst offensive attack in the league.
