NBA: Denver Nuggets vs. Charlotte Hornets Preview, Odds, Prediction

The Denver Nuggets visit the Charlotte Hornets in search of a win, which would keep the minimal distance between them and the Minnesota Timberwolves in the West standings. It is vital for the Nuggets to stay ahead of the rivals from Minneapolis because it would keep them at the sixth spot in the conference and allow a direct place in the playoffs. On the other side, the Hornets battle with the Nets for eighth place in the play-in zone, and after last night’s win, their situation is not bad at all.

Preview

Denver Nuggets (44-31, -170) slowed down in recent times, winning only two of the past five games. It is obvious that Nikola Jokic can’t do everything on his own, and that Denver doesn’t have any other player who could help the reigning MVP. Even the Joker isn’t immune to fatigue.

The Nuggets lost to the Suns at home, but then beat the OKC Thunder, 113-107, much tougher than anyone expected. Denver was up throughout the entire game, but in the end, they would allow the Thunder to reach them and to make the final few minutes pretty intense.

Jokic was the man in the middle, with 35 points, 12 boards, and eight rebounds in 35 minutes. Aaron Gordon had 20 buckets with nine boards and looked solid on both sides of the floor. Will Barton scored 18 with even assists and six rebounds, providing decent performance.

Charlotte Hornets (39-36, +145) beat the Brooklyn Nets last night. The final result was 119-110, with the Hornets erasing a double-digit deficit they had during the second period.

A wonderful third quarter in which they outscored the rivals 37-29 was the key for the victory. That is when LaMelo Ball started taking over the situation and demonstrating his power. The former ROY is already a developed player, and we can say that the Hornets have a superstar and a foundation for the years to come. Ball had 33 points at Barclays, with nine assists and seven boards, and he also made seven threes in 12 attempts.

Miles Bridges was up to the task, delivering 24 points with eight boards and enduring a massive battle with Kevin Durant. PJ Washington posted a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Terry Rozier added 14 buckets.

Head to Head Games

The Hornets and the Nuggets met on December 23 in Colorado, and the guests in that one were better, beating the Nuggets 115-107. Kelly Oubre Jr. had 23 points off the bench, while Rozier had 17 and Ball and Bridges 16. Jokic ended the night with 29 points and amazing 21 boards. Like in mot of the situations, he didn’t have any help coming from the teammates.

Prediction

This is the game between two teams that aren’t very keen on playing the defense and spending too much energy on those assignments. The Hornets are all about the offense, especially when playing at home, while on the other side, the Nuggets’ mindset is always the same, and they win games by outscoring the rivals, not making stops. The current line for the total number of points is set at 231.5 points, and for us, it is a clear Over.

Pick: Over 231.5 points