Charlotte Hornets (12-23) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (30-5)
January 5, 2026 8:00 pm EDT
The Line: Oklahoma City Thunder -16.5; Over/Under: 232.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Charlotte Hornets and the Oklahoma City Thunder collide at the Paycom Center on Monday night. Here’s a Thunder vs Hornets Prediction. This article will include a Thunder vs Hornets Pick.
Charlotte Hornets Betting Preview
The Charlotte Hornets have been in decent form lately as they’ve split their last 10 games and they will be eager to build some momentum after snapping a three-game skid with a 112-99 road win over the Bulls on Saturday. Miles Bridges led the team with 26 points and 14 rebounds on 11 of 18 shooting, Brandon Miller added 22 points with six rebounds and four assists, Kon Knueppel scored 18 points while LaMelo Ball chipped in with 17 points, six rebounds and seven assists. As a team, the Hornets shot 43 percent from the field and 15 of 41 from the 3-point line as they struggled to get going and looked to be in early trouble after falling behind by 15 points. But they chipped away at the deficit and made their move in the second half, where they outscored the Bulls by 62-41 to win by double digits in the end.
Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder were starting to heat up again with four wins in a row before they got stopped in their tracks by the Suns in a 108-105 road defeat last night. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the team with 25 points and six assists, Jalen Williams added 23 points with seven assists on nine of 13 shooting while Chet Holmgren chipped in with 18 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. As a team, the Thunder shot 48 percent from the field and 10 of 32 from the 3-point line as they played great defense early on to restrict the Suns to just 42 points in the first half to take an 18-point lead. But they couldn’t hold off the pesky Suns and got stung by a game winner from Devin Booker with just 0.7 seconds left on the clock to snatch the game away.
Why the Oklahoma City Thunder will win
- The Thunder have won each of their last 45 games against teams that held a losing record.
- The Hornets have lost each of their last 12 games against Western Conference opponents that held a winning record.
- The Hornets have failed to cover the spread in each of their last eight road games after winning as underdogs.
- The Thunder have covered the spread in each of their last six home games against Eastern Conference opponents following a loss.
Why the Charlotte Hornets will win
- The road team has won four of the Hornets’ last five games.
- The Hornets have covered the spread in seven of their last eight games against teams that held a winning record.
- The Thunder have failed to cover the spread in six of their last seven home games on the second leg of a back-to-back.
Total Points Facts
- Seven of the Thunder’s last eight home games against the Hornets have gone OVER the total points line.
- Each of the Hornets’ last five games at Paycom Center have gone OVER the total points line.
Thunder vs Hornets Prediction
The Hornets are still missing Ryan Kalkbrenner and Grant Williams with Kon Knueppel and Tidjane Salaun both questionable, while the Thunder will again be missing Isaiah Hartenstein, Ousmane Dieng and Nikola Topic to name a few. The Hornets have sprung to life lately after a slow start to the season, and they looked pretty good in their win over the Bulls on Saturday. Now they are up against the Thunder, who are coming into this one fresh off a rare defeat. The Thunder are playing their second game of a back to back set and are still missing some players, but there’s also an injury cloud hanging over the Hornets for this one. I might be tempted to take the Hornets with the points if the Thunder were coming off a massive win. However, the fact that they lost a close one last night makes me think that they are going to come out swinging at home. Give me the Thunder to bounce back with a dominant win in this spot.
