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NBA

Charlotte Hornets vs. Boston Celtics Predictions, Picks, Odds

Michael Crosson
Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert
4 minute read

Nationally televised NBA coverage will resume on Wednesday night with a compelling Eastern Conference matchup between the Charlotte Hornets and Boston Celtics. Coverage begins from TD Garden at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

SCORE PREDICTION

Hornets 113, Celtics 107

BEST BETS

Hornets +5 (-110) at DraftKings

CHARLOTTE HORNETS VS. BOSTON CELTICS PREDICTIONS

After finishing 10th in the East with a record of 33-39 SU last year, Charlotte jumped out to a surprisingly strong to this season, as the Hornets opened with a sturdy 13-8 SU and 12-9 ATS run – despite getting tagged as underdogs in 15 of those matchups.

The Hornets have somewhat flown under the radar since that stretch though, considering Charlotte sits at 11-12 SU and 15-8 ATS across the last 23 games – with half of those SU losses coming by nine points or more (6).

On the other hand, Boston posted an incredibly frustrating start to the season, as the Celtics kicked things off with a lackluster 15-19 SU and ATS skid – with ten of those SU losses coming by double-digits.

The Celtics have recently found success by leaning heavily on their defense though, considering Boston enters Wednesday sitting at 7-3 SU across the last ten games – while scoring 108 PPG compared to allowing just 101 PPG during that span.

I’ll back Charlotte here, as the Celtics and Hornets both boast impressive 5-1 SU tallies across their last six games, but my vote of confidence belongs to a Charlotte squad that ranks 2nd in the league in scoring and 6th in offensive efficiency (114.5 PPG, 1.093 OE) – compared to Boston ranking 19th and 20th in those respective categories (107.6 PPG, 1.062 OE).

CHARLOTTE HORNETS VS. BOSTON CELTICS BETTING ODDS

More Odds | Futures Odds

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CHARLOTTE HORNETS VS. BOSTON CELTICS BETTING RESOURCES

  • Matchup: Southeast vs. Atlantic
  • Date: Wednesday, January 19, 2022
  • Venue: TD Garden
  • Location: Boston, Massachusetts
  • TV-Time: ESPN - 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Injury Report

CHARLOTTE HORNETS BETTING ANALYSIS

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

  • SU: 24-20
  • ATS: 22-17
  • O/U: 23-20-1

After last year’s disappointing 33-39 SU showing, the Hornets posted a surprisingly excellent start to this season, as Charlotte kicked things off with a solid 13-8 SU run, which included tough upset victories over the Nets, Warriors, Grizzlies, and Blazers.

Recently though, Charlotte has been slightly less impressive, considering the Hornets are just 11-12 SU across the last 23 games, despite racking up 116 PPG during that timeframe – but they still get my vote of confidence in a road matchup against a Celtics squad that’s averaging just 105 PPG since Christmas.

BOSTON CELTICS BETTING ANALYSIS

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

  • SU: 23-22
  • ATS: 22-22-1
  • O/U: 20-24-1

After finishing seventh in the East with a record of 36-36 SU last year, the Celtics posted a similarly underwhelming start to this season, as Boston opened with a pedestrian 7-8 SU and 9-6 ATS run – and seemingly remain trapped in that rut, considering the Celtics are just 16-14 SU and 13-16-1 ATS since that point.

The Celtics can’t snap out of their slump unless their shooting drastically improves though, considering Boston ranks 20th in offensive efficiency and 23rd in effective field-goal percentage (1.062 OE, 51.6% EFG) – resulting in a meager average of 107.6 PPG.

The Hornets are 1-6 ATS in their last seven matchups against Boston. (AP)

CHARLOTTE HORNETS VS. BOSTON CELTICS HEAD-TO-HEAD

The Celtics won two-of-three regular-season matchups against Charlotte last year, with the first matchup staying under the total at a score of 116-86 – while the following two events both soared over the number at an average of 230 PPG.

The most recent matchup between these teams took place back in October of this season though, which resulted in another high-scoring victory for Boston (140-129 OT).

KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH

  • CHA: Miles Bridges - SF (20 PPG, 7.3 REB, 3.6 AST)
  • CHA: LaMelo Ball - PG (19.4 PPG, 7.2 REB, 7.6 AST)
  • BOS: Jayson Tatum - SF (25.5 PPG, 8.6 REB, 3.8 AST)
  • BOS: Jaylen Brown - SG (24.2 PPG, 6.5 REB, 2.9 REB)

CHARLOTTE HORNETS VS. BOSTON CELTICS BETTING CONCLUSION

After posting back-to-back victories over the Bulls and Pelicans, the Celtics enter Wednesday’s contest as narrow home favorites over the visiting Hornets – marking the eighth time Boston has been favored across the last ten games.

I’ll back Charlotte here, as the Hornets sit 8-3 SU and ATS across the last 11 games, while tallying a lofty 113.2 PPG during that timeframe – setting the stage for another favorable matchup against a Celtics squad that’s scored 106 PTS or less in six of their last eight contests (104.7 PPG).

CHARLOTTE HORNETS VS. BOSTON CELTICS BETTING TRENDS

  • The Hornets are 1-6 ATS in their last seven matchups against Boston.
  • The Celtics are 4-8 ATS in their last 12 games.
  • The total has gone UNDER in four of the last five Hornets' games.
  • The total has gone OVER in nine of the last 12 matchups between Charlotte and Boston.

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Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson
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