NBA: Charlotte Hornets vs Washington Wizards Preview, Odds, Prediction

The Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards open Tuesday’s NBA program with a head-to-head matchup in DC. For Charlotte, this is the start of a six-game road trip through the East, and a very important part of the season. On the other side, the Wizards will try to continue with winning, winning against their two previous rivals. In those matches, especially in the last one, Russell Westbrook was unstoppable, putting numbers that aren’t that frequent in the league.

Preview

Charlotte Hornets (23-22, -118) had a solid start of the season, but LaMelo Ball’s injury disrupted a lot of things for James Borrego and his crew. The youngster was the absolute favorite for winning the Rookie of the Year Award, and his injury left a huge gap in the Hornets’ lineup.

This Sunday night, Charlotte’s three-game winning streak was interrupted with a loss against the Suns, 101-97. This was one highly interesting matchup that saw a fierce battle and overtime. In the end, it were the Suns who had more luck, going home with a big win. Before this loss, the Hornets beat Spurs, Rockets, and the Heat.

Devonte Graham had 30 points, hitting seven threes in 16 attempts. He will replace LaMelo when it comes to scoring, but his playmaking skills are much worse than Melo’s. Terry Rozier added 22 points and10 boards, while Gordon Hayward added 15, shooting only 4-for-15 from the field. Miles Bridges added 18 off the bench with 12 rebounds.

Washington Wizards (17-28, +100) has two triumphs in a row, both at home. At first, the Wizards beat Detroit Pistons 106-92, and after that, the Indiana Pacers, 132-124, this Monday.

Russell Westbrook posted triple-doubles in each game, but Brody’s performance last night vs Indiana was memorable. He had 35 points, 21 assists, and 14 rebounds, shooting 14-for-26, for his 16th triple-double of the year. Westbrook is toying with numbers, but that won’t change the fact that he is having one of the worst seasons in his career.

Bradley Beal didn’t appear in this matchup due to a hip injury and is questionable for tonight’s clash as well. Rui Hachimura added 26 points with 8 boards, Raul Neto scored 15, and Chandler Hutchinson 18, both of them entering off the bench.

Head to Head Games

The Hornets and the Wizards already met once this season, which happened on February 6 in North Carolina. The hosts routinely defeated the visitors from DC, 119-97. Rozier had 26 points for Charlotte, Hayward 25, while Melo added 19 with seven boards and five assists. The only notable player among the Wizards was Beal with 31 buckets. Westbrook had 12, 11 rebounds, and nine assists.

Prediction

If they appear without Beal, the Wizards will be in a tough position, not just because they have to play without the league’s top scorer but also because of the fatigue. Just to remind you, they met Indiana last night. Hornets looked solid in the past week, posting wins and playing toe-to-toe with the Suns, not allowing one of the best teams in the NBA to develop their style of play. That is why our money is on the guest’s win.

Pick: Charlotte Hornets win