Thunder vs Hornets Pick – NBA Predictions & Odds 3/28/23

The Charlotte Hornets invade the Paycom Center to battle the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night.

The Charlotte Hornets have come to life with three wins in their past four games and they will be aiming for a third straight victory after taking down the Mavericks in a 110-104 win on Sunday. Gordon Hayward led the team with 22 points, six rebounds and four assists, PJ Washington added 21 points with 12 rebounds and four assists while Mark Williams chipped in with 15 points and 16 rebounds. As a team, the Hornets shot 44 percent from the field and 12 of 29 from the 3-point line as they dominated the first quarter by 30-16 to take the early lead and they did just enough to hold off the Mavericks till the end to escape with the narrow win.

Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder have been in decent shape as they’ve won six of their last nine games and they will be eager to keep building after taking down the Trail Blazers in a 118-112 road win on Sunday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the team with 31 points on nine of 17 shooting, Jalen Williams added 23 points on nine of 14 shooting while Isaiah Joe chipped in with 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists off the bench. As a team, the Thunder shot 43 percent from the field and 12 of 35 from the 3-point line as they exploded for 43 points in the second quarter to erase an early 12-point deficit, before they held the Trail Blazers to just 18 points in the fourth quarter to slip away in a close finish.

Looking at the betting trends, the Hornets are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games against a team with a losing record and 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games following a win. The Thunder are 5-0 ATS in their last five home games, 39-18-2 ATS in their last 59 games against a team with a losing record and 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall.

Head to head, the under is 7-2 in the last nine meetings overall, the Hornets are 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings in Oklahoma City and the Hornets are 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings overall.

The Hornets are a little shorthanded again as Mark Williams is out, while the Thunder are keeping an eye on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who is listed as day to day. The Hornets don’t have anything to play for at this stage of the season, but that hasn’t stopped them from winning three of their last four games which makes them a little dangerous here. However, the Thunder have clearly been the more reliable and consistent team all season and they are also 5-0 ATS in their last five home games. The line is a little hefty, but I think the Thunder pull away in the second half to get the win and cover.