Nuggets vs Hornets Prediction 2/20/25 NBA Picks Today

The Charlotte Hornets and the Denver Nuggets duke it out at the Ball Arena on Thursday night. Here’s a Nuggets vs Hornets Prediction. This article will include a Nuggets vs Hornets Pick.

The Charlotte Hornets have been in terrible shape as they’ve lost nine of their last 11 games overall, but they will be eager to build some momentum after last night’s 100-97 win over the Lakers. Miles Bridges led the team with 29 points, six rebounds, and five steals, LaMelo Ball added 27 points with five rebounds and six assists while Nick Smith Jr chipped in with 12 points. As a team, the Hornets shot just 36 percent from the field and 18 of 53 from the 3-point line as they got off to a poor start and scored just 16 points in the second quarter to trail by 11 points at halftime, but they didn’t fold. Instead, the Hornets dominated the third quarter by 32-18 to erase an early 13-point deficit, before they closed the final 47.1 seconds on a 7-3 run to escape with the big upset win.

Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets have been on fire as they are now gunning for a ninth straight victory after taking down the Trail Blazers in a 132-121 home win on Wednesday. Jamal Murray led the team with 55 points on 20 of 36 shooting, Nikola Jokic tallied a triple-double of 26 points with 15 rebounds and 10 assists while Christian Braun chipped in with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists. As a team, the Nuggets shot 51 percent from the field and 15 of 38 from the 3-point line as they set the tone with 40 points in the first quarter to take an early 23-point lead and they just kept piling on the points thanks to a monster scoring night from Murray. The Nuggets will meet the Lakers and Pacers after this game.

Why the Denver Nuggets will win

• The Nuggets have won each of their last 12 home games against Eastern Conference opponents that held a losing record.
• The Hornets have lost each of their last 11 games against Nuggets teams that held a winning record.
• The favorites have covered the spread in each of the Nuggets’ last nine games at Ball Arena.
• The Hornets have failed to cover the spread in six of their last seven games on the second leg of a back-to-back against the Nuggets.

Why the Charlotte Hornets will win

• The Hornets have won each of their last three games as road underdogs against Northwest Division opponents following a win.
• The Hornets have covered the spread in each of their last four games against Western Conference opponents.
• The Nuggets have failed to cover the spread in four of their last five games against Eastern Conference opponents.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Nuggets rank 1st in the league for assists per game this season (31.3).
• The Nuggets rank 30th in the league for opponent assists per game this season (29.3).
• The Hornets rank 30th in the league for field goal percentage this season (43.0%).
• The Hornets have missed the playoffs in eight consecutive seasons – the longest active streak in the NBA

The Hornets were able to spring an upset over the Lakers last night thanks to a combined 56 points from Bridges and Ball along with plenty of defense, but it’s going to be tough to replicate that effort on zero days’ rest against this Nuggets team who were on fire before the All-Star break. The line was always going to be massive for this matchup, but still not big enough to sway me from taking the well-rested Nuggets who really needed the break to get over some injuries.

Peter Tran's Free Pick: Denver -15.5

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