The Charlotte Hornets (12-23) and Oklahoma City Thunder (30-6) will meet in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m. ET at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. The game will be broadcast live on FDSSE.
The Thunder are 15.5-point favorites over the Hornets on the spread (Thunder -15.5), with the over/under set at 234.5 total points. Oklahoma City is a -1050 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Charlotte is +700 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Hornets vs. Thunder predictions and NBA picks for Monday, January 5.
Hornets vs Thunder Prediction
- Hornets vs Thunder pick: Collin Sexton Over 11.5 points (-111)
My Thunder vs Hornets best bet is on Collin Sexton to record over 11.5 points, with the best price currently available at DraftKings. However, make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Hornets vs Thunder Odds
| Hornets Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+15.5 -110 | 234.5 -112o / -108u | +700 |
| Thunder Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-15.5 -110 | 234.5 -112o / -108u | -1050 |
Hornets vs Thunder NBA Preview
As much as I love the Charlotte Hornets experience, I don't anticipate their best tonight.
Sure, OKC is coming off an upset loss to the Suns on Sunday night, meaning Charlotte is on the second of a back-to-back. But the Hornets have been elite without a rest advantage, not with.
This season, the Hornets — despite their overall 12-23 record — are a near NBA-best 7-1 against the spread when at a rest disadvantage. But that doesn't help them tonight with the Thunder playing on a back-to-back.
However, what does help, is that the Thunder are 1-5 ATS with a rest disadvantage, which is tied for third-worst in the league, although they're often heavy favorites.
The Hornets are 10-6 ATS as road underdogs, but tied for a league-worst 1-7 ATS with a rest advantage. OKC is 11-7 as a home favorite this season ATS.
The Hornets have a loaded injury report tonight.
Ryan Kalkbrenner (elbow), Mason Plumlee (groin) and Grant Williams (knee) are out. Kon Knueppel (hip), Moussa Diabate (wrist) and Tidjane Salaun (ankle) are all questionable. Brandon Miller (knee) is probable.
For OKC, Isaiah Hartenstein (calf), Jaylin Williams (heel), Ousmane Dieng (calf), Nikola Topic (testicular cancer) and Thomas Sorber (ACL) all sat out against Phoenix, and the latter two aren't expected back anytime soon.
Hornets vs Thunder Prediction, Betting Analysis
Collin Sexton has gone over 11.5 points in six straight games, and coming off a loss, OKC is a 15.5-point favorite against the Hornets, who again, are elite with no rest and at a rest disadvantage, but they're terrible with a rest advantage.
We've seen Sexton hover between 16-20 minutes in four of six games since returning from injury, with two games at 27 minutes each.
Still, they badly need his offense off the bench, and will be forced to play a perimeter-based game given that they'll have maybe one center at most in Diabate, if he plays. Otherwise, two-way PJ Hall will see big minutes.
So Charlotte's offense is going to run through the perimeter. That's Miller, that's Knueppel, that's LaMelo Ball, and that's Miles Bridges, along with Sexton, who will lead the bench unit.
Pick: Collin Sexton Over 11.5 Points (-111)
