The Charlotte Hornets invade the American Airlines Center to battle the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night.
Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets have yet to get going this season, but they will be feeling much better after outlasting the Pacers in a 125-124 road win last night. Mark Williams led the team with 27 points on nine of 12 shooting, Gordon Hayward added 23 points while Terry Rozier chipped in with 22 points. As a team, the Hornets shot 53 percent from the field and eight of 20 from the 3-point line as they squandered an early 13-point lead, before they went on a critial 16-2 run in the fourth quarter to escape with the narrow win in the end. It wasn’t all smooth sailing in this one as the Hornets leaked 50 points to the Pacers in the third quarter, but they hung in the contest and snapped a three-game skid.
Charlotte Hornets Team Facts
- The Hornets have won four of their last five games as road underdogs.
- The Hornets have failed to cover the spread in six of their last seven road games against Western Conference opponents after winning as underdogs.
- Five of the Hornets’ last six games against Southwest Division opponents have gone UNDER the total points line.
Dallas Mavericks
Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks have hit the ground running this season with four wins in a row, but they will now be looking to bounce back after getting beaten by the defending champion Nuggets in a 125-114 road loss on Friday. Luka Doncic led the team with 34 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, Kyrie Irving added 22 points with seven assists and four steals while Grant Williams chipped in with 13 points. As a team, the Mavericks shot 47 percent from the field and 17 of 42 from the 3-point line as they allowed the Nuggets off to a flyer and were always playing from behind after getting outscored by 40-24 in the first quarter.
Dallas Mavericks Team Facts
- The Mavericks have lost each of their last seven games as favorites against Southeast Division opponents.
- The Mavericks have failed to cover the spread in each of their last 10 games as favorites against Southeast Division opponents.
- Each of the Mavericks’ last five games as favorites against the Hornets have gone UNDER the total points line.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Mavericks rank 1st in the league for three-point field goals made per game this season (18.0).
- The Mavericks rank 1st in the league for three-point field goal attempts per game this season (44.0).
- The Hornets have missed the playoffs in seven consecutive seasons – longest active streak in the NBA
- The Hornets rank 1st in the league for Q4 points per game this season (34.8).
Peter’s Pick
The Hornets will be without Terry Rozier due to a groin injury, while the Mavericks will be without Maxi Kleber who is out with a toe injury. The Hornets really needed a win to get their season going and they did it the hard way against the Pacers last night, but it’s going to be tough to get back up and take on this Mavericks team who were rolling before they got stopped by the Nuggets on Friday. The line is very hefty for this one, but I think the Mavericks get back to winning ways with style against a tired Hornets outfit.
