Hornets vs. Spurs Pick
Can the visiting Charlotte Hornets hang with the San Antonio Spurs Friday night at 8:30PM EST?
The Spurs are listed as a 4.5-point favorite on the spread line according to oddsmakers at sports book Bovada.lv. The over-under sits at 198 points.
Charlotte comes in with a 5-3 record, winning a third straight game Wednesday night at home via a 126-121 victory over the Bucks. San Antonio is 4-4, dropping a fourth straight contest Thursday night as it lost 112-92 at home to Golden State. The Spurs won both meetings straight up last year and went 1-1 ATS. The over-under also went 1-1.
The Hornets were led by Kemba Walker as he scored a team-best 26 points versus Milwaukee. Malik Monk scored 25 off the bench, which included 5-of-8 from 3-point range. Dwight Howard contributed 17 points and 11 rebounds. Jeremy Lamb scored 16 points, while Marvin Williams added 15 points. The Hornets outscored the Bucks 38-33 in the fourth quarter.
San Antonio was outscored 62-37 in the second half versus the Warriors. LaMarcus Aldridge had 24 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks to lead the way. Kyle Anderson chipped in with 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Pau Gasol added 11 points and six boards.
Charlotte is 1-5 ATS in its last six meetings in San Antonio. The under is 5-1 in the last six meetings in San Antonio.
Aldridge (36 minutes) is the only player on San Antonio who saw more than 30 minutes on the court Thursday night. The Spurs also stay at home, so this might be a fresher team on a back-to-back than normal. It is such a rarity to see San Antonio on a losing streak that it makes us uncomfortable. No way the skid hits five games tonight, right? We like the hosts to right the ship here.
NBA DAILY PREDICTION: SAN ANTONIO SPURS -4.5