Charlotte Hornets (7-19) vs. Washington Wizards (3-21)
December 19, 2024 7:00 pm EDT
The Line: Washington Wizards +3.5; Over/Under: +221.5
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Washington Wizards vs Charlotte Hornets Player Prop Picks 12-19-24
The Charlotte Hornets will face the Washington Wizards on December 19th, 2024, at Capital One Arena, with both teams eager to end their respective losing streaks. The Hornets, who have lost 10 of their last 11 games, are coming off a 121-108 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. LaMelo Ball continues to lead Charlotte, averaging 30.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game.
The Wizards, struggling defensively with a league-worst 121.5 points allowed per game, have lost three straight, including a 112-98 defeat to the Boston Celtics. Kyle Kuzma leads Washington with 22.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, while Jordan Poole and Deni Avdija contribute to their offensive efforts. However, the Wizards also face injury concerns, with Corey Kispert, Kuzma, and Malcolm Brogdon potentially unavailable for this matchup.
Lamelo Ball Over 26.5 Points
LaMelo Ball has been a standout performer for the Charlotte Hornets this season. He’s averaging 30.2 points per game, ranking fourth in the league. Ball’s scoring prowess is highlighted by several high-scoring games, including a 50-point performance against the Milwaukee Bucks and 44 points versus the Orlando Magic.
Recently, Ball sustained a left calf strain, leading to his absence for at least two weeks. He returned to action on December 16th, contributing 15 points, 11 assists, five rebounds, and four steals in a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. 15 points is a slow night for Lamelo but after missing several of games he needed a game to get back in the swing of things. We should see the Lamelo Ball from earlier this season, with him going against this Wizards defense, which has been awful.
Jordan Poole Under 22.5 Points
Jordan Poole has been a vital scoring option for the Washington Wizards during this season. He’s averaging 20.3 points per game, which places him 35th among league leaders. His offensive efficiency includes a field goal percentage of 43.4% and a three-point shooting percentage of 39.2%, with an average of 3.1 made three-pointers on 8.0 attempts per game.
The issue with Jordan Poole has been consistency when it comes to scoring. After having a massive game against Denver Nuggets scoring 39 points he’s failed to get over this number of 22.5 points in his last three games. Now he’s going against this Charlotte Hornets team that plays at a slower pace and has played in a lot of low-scoring games. I don’t think this is the night that Jordan Poole bounces back.
Miles Bridges Over 5.5 Rebounds
Even though Bridges has been off and on the court he has been a consistent contributor to the Charlotte Hornets’ rebounding efforts when he plays. He’s averaging 6.8 rebounds per game over 12 games, with approximately 5.8 defensive rebounds and 0.9 offensive rebounds per game.
In recent games, Bridges secured 6 rebounds against the Philadelphia 76ers on December 16th, 2024, and 9 rebounds against the Chicago Bulls on December 13th, 2024. It looks like there’s a good chance that Brandon Miller will be out of the Hornets lineup once again for this game. This will result in more rebounding opportunities for Miles Bridges. The Wizards are also giving up 57.5 rebounds per game to opposing teams which is the second most in the league.
