The Oklahoma City Thunder (33-15) are looking to pick up a bit of momentum again on Friday night as they host the Charlotte Hornets (10-36) at Paycom Center, Oklahoma.
Bet Rivers has the Thunder as heavy 16-point favorites tonight (-108), and they will be looking to record a second consecutive win after beating NBA champions the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday. The game total is set at O/U 227, and tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET.
It’s been a tough season for the Hornets who sit in 13th-place in the Eastern Conference. They will be looking to avoid a sixth-straight victory here, but wins have been few and far between thus far. Take a look at our best bet for tonight’s matchup below!
Last Time Out
OKC are hot on the trails of Western Conference leaders the Minnesota Timberwolves, and are just one game back in second-place. They ended a two-game losing streak on Wednesday night after beating the Nuggets 105-100 in Oklahoma. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander particularly impressed, recording 34 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.
This will be the third matchup of a four-game home series for the Thunder. Mark Daigneault’s team boast the fourth-best home record in the conference (18-6), and they have suffered just one loss over their last nine on their own court.
With just ten wins on the season, visitors the Hornets have the joint-third lowest number of victories across the entire league. They suffered their fifth successive loss on Wednesday night, losing 117-110 at home to the Chicago Bulls. Forward Miles Bridges impressed, despite the defeat, putting up 30 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists.
Charlotte have performed poorly on the road this season, and have the second-worst away record in the Eastern Conference (5-18). They lost 113-106 to the Detroit Pistons in their last road game, but did manage to beat the one-seeded Timberwolves 128-125 last month.
Injuries
Point guard LaMelo Ball has been absent for the past three games for the Hornets due to an ankle injury, and remains questionable for the trip to Oklahoma. With forward Gordon Hayward out with a calf issue, it’s not looking good for Charlotte on the injury report. Center Mark Williams is also out.
The hosts will have guard Isaiah Joe and forward Jalen Williams sidelined for tonight’s game. Williams will be the biggest loss for OKC as he is averaging 18.7 points, 4 rebounds and 4.5 assists this season.
Head-to-Head
Recent history hasn’t been kind to the Thunder, with the Hornets winning their last five consecutive meetings with OKC. They won the series 2-0 last season, picking up a 137-134 triumph at Paycom Center. Oklahoma City hasn't beaten Charlotte since 2020, and we have to go all the way back to 2018 since their last win on their own court against the Hornets.
Betting Trends & Stats
Not only have the Hornets lost their last five-straight, but they have failed to cover the spread across all five defeats. In that time, they have given up at least 110 points in each game. Charlotte is allowing the sixth-highest points per game in the NBA this season (120.3), and their opponents throughout the season are converting 39.9% of three-pointers against them (highest in the league).
The road team’s defensive woes will be enticing for the Thunder here since they are averaging the fourth-highest ppg in the NBA (120.4). Expect Oklahoma City to put up a number of three-pointers, too, as they have the third-highest conversion rate in the NBA (38.9%).
With an against the spread record of 30-17-1, OKC have the second-best ATS record in the NBA, covering in 63.8% of all games. They have covered in 66.7% of their home games (16-8-0), and 65.6% after a win (21-11-0).
Meanwhile, the Hornets are the second-worst team ATS across the league (16-30-0), covering in just 34.8% of matchups. Charlotte are just 8-15-0 ATS on the road, and have the worst point differential in the league (-11.7).
Key Players
Leading the team in ppg (23.9), Ball will be a huge miss if he is unable to play tonight for Charlotte. He is also the team’s assist leader (8.0 pg), and is averaging the most steals pg for the Hornets (1.8). Bridges will be hoping to continue in his fine run of form after scoring 30 points against the Bulls last time out. He is averaging 26.8 ppg over his last five games.
Gilgeous-Alexander is the clear star for the Thunder, leading the team in ppg (31.3), assists (6.4) and steals (2.2). The Canadian has scored at least 30 points across his last eight consecutive outings, and ranks third across the entire league in terms of ppg. He’s the league leader in average steals too. Bet Rivers have Gilgeous-Alexander priced at +105 to put up over 33.5 points here.
Best Bet
Despite the Thunder needing to cover a large spread of 16 points tonight, they have had their fair share of blowout victories this season. Their strong offensive rating favors them up against a Hornets team who have given up a lot of points.
Since OKC are 16-8-0 ATS at home, and the Hornets are 8-15-0 ATS on the road, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Oklahoma City managed to comfortably win tonight. They are heavy favorites on the moneyline (-1430) so back them to cover the spread.
Oklahoma City Thunder -16 (-108 with Bet Rivers)