The Hornets are hosting the Pacers on Thursday. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Charlotte is favored by 4.5 points and this game carries a total of 230.5 points.
Below, I break down the matchup and provide a pick for the game.
Hornets vs. Pacers preview, prediction
The Hornets and Pacers went head-to-head back on November 19 and Indiana won that matchup on its home floor 127-118. The Hornets are 13-24 this season, but they rank 19th in net rating, which is solid relative to their record. Charlotte has also been playing better recently. The team is coming off a 97-96 loss to the Raptors last night, but the Hornets had won two in a row prior, first defeating the Bulls 112-99 and then shockingly blowing out the Thunder on their home floor 124-97. This is the biggest loss of the season for the defending champions, that are 31-7 and otherwise comfortably lead the NBA in net rating. Furthermore, the Thunder’s 97 points is the fewest they have scored at home since the 2024 playoffs.
Yes, this was the second night of a back-to-back for Oklahoma City, but the Thunder have been unstoppable on their home floor the last few seasons, and the Hornets embarrassing Oklahoma City is clear evidence that Charlotte is a better team than its losing record suggests.
LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges both have been letting the game come to them instead of forcing it. Meanwhile, Brandon Miller and rookie Kon Knueppel are exceeding expectations. Miller has been lighting it up with at least 28 points in three of his last four and Knueppel has been the second-best rookie in the NBA behind only his former Duke teammate Cooper Flagg. This season, Knueppel is averaging 19.3 PPG while shooting 47% from the field and 43% from behind the arc.
The Hornets rank top 10 in both offensive rating and defensive in the new year, and while they are playing their second game in two nights on Thursday, Charlotte is an impressive 5-3 on the second leg of back-to-back sets this seasons. More importantly, this is a great matchup for the Hornets with the struggling Pacers in town.
Indiana has lost 13 games in a row and the Pacers are a league-worst 6-31 this season while ranking 28th in net rating. With Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) out of the equation, Pascal Siakam is leading the team with 23.7 PPG on 48% shooting, but the 31-year-old has been unable to make Indiana a competitive team in his featured role. Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathruin are both scoring career-highs right around 17 PPG, but Nembhard is questionable tonight with a back injury and Mathurin will miss his third consecutive game with a thumb injury.
Indiana is 1-12 with Mathurin inactive this season and the team will be extremely shorthanded offensively if Nembhard is out, as well. Even if the guard suits up, there isn’t much hope of the Pacers winning tonight with this game being in Charlotte, as Indiana is a league-worst 1-16 on the road.
Hornets vs. Pacers pick, best bet
The Pacers took the first matchup of the season with the Hornets, but Charlotte should return the favor tonight on its home floor, despite playing its second game in two nights, as these two teams are trending in opposite directions right now.
The Hornets are a league-best 7-0 ATS on the second night of back-to-back sets and they are 22-15 ATS overall this season, which is the third-best ATS record in the NBA. Charlotte should be favorited by more than 4.5 points, and backing the club to cover this number is a no-brainer.
