Hornets vs. Lakers Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Thursday, Jan. 9

The Lakers are heavily favored at home on Thursday night.

The Lakers are heavily favored at home on Thursday night. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

UPDATE: The NBA has postponed tonight's Los Angeles Lakers-Charlotte Hornets matchup due to the tragic wildfires in the Los Angeles area.

The NBA is postponing Lakers-Hornets game tonight at Crypto Arena due to raging wildfires across the Los Angeles area, sources tell ESPN.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 9, 2025

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LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are in need of a bounce-back showing after they fell short to the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night – even though both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving were out.

Los Angeles is just 8-11 straight up on the road, but it has been great at home (12-5 straight) up, posting the No. 12 net rating in the NBA. 

On Thursday, the Lakers host LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets, who are fresh off of a win against the Phoenix Suns. Still, the Hornets are just 8-27 overall and have won just one of their last 10 games. 

With the wildfires tragically hitting California and the Los Angeles area, there’s a chance that this matchup could get postponed. 

In response to Lakers-Hornets status with wildfires in LA area, NBA spokesman Mike Bass: “We are in communication with the Lakers and Hornets and continue to closely monitor the situation to determine if any scheduling adjustments are necessary related to tomorrow night’s game.”

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 8, 2025

For now, the Lakers and Hornets are expected to play with Los Angeles sitting as an eight-point favorite at home.

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, players to bet in the prop market and my prediction for Thursday’s contest. 

Hornets vs. Lakers Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Hornets +8 (-110)
• Lakers -8 (-110)

Moneyline

• Hornets: +260
• Lakers: -325

Total

• 224 (Over -108/Under -112)

Hornets vs. Lakers How to Watch 

• Date: Thursday, Jan. 9
• Time: 10:30 p.m. EST
• Venue: Crypto.com Arena
• How to Watch (TV): Spectrum SportsNet, Bally Sports Southeast
• Hornets record: 8-27
• Lakers record: 20-16

Hornets vs. Lakers Injury Reports 

Hornets Injury Report

• Moussa Diabate – out
• Tre Mann – out
• Isaiah Wong – out
• Grant Williams – out

Lakers Injury Report 

• LeBron James – probable
• Anthony Davis – probable
• Cam Reddish – questionable
• Jalen Hood-Schifino – out
• Christian Wood – out
• Jarred Vanderbilt – out

Hornets vs. Lakers Best NBA Prop Bets 

Charlotte Hornets Best NBA Prop Bet

• Brandon Miller OVER 19.5 Points (-110)

Miller had just 13 points in his last game, but he’s scored 20 or more points in 13 of his last 16 contests, pushing his season average to 21.2 points per game.

The Lakers are a better team at home than on the road, but overall they are just 23rd in defensive rating, making this a favorable matchup for the Charlotte offense. Miller’s usage should also remain high, as he’s taken 20.1 shots per game over this 16-game stretch. 

Los Angeles Lakers Best NBA Prop Bet

• Austin Reaves OVER 2.5 3-Pointers Made (-115)

Austin Reaves is shooting 36.1 percent from 3 this season, and he’s made at least three shots from deep in five of his last seven games and seven of 12 games since returning from injury. Reaves is taking over seven shots from 3 per game over that stretch.

This is a solid matchup for the Lakers guard, as Charlotte ranks 18th in the NBA in opponent made 3s per game. As long as Reaves continues to receive major usage in this offense, he’s worth a shot with this prop set at just 2.5. 

Hornets vs. Lakers Prediction and Pick

The Hornets are 9-5 against the spread as road underdogs this season, but they’re in a tough spot on Thursday against a Lakers team that is significantly better at home in the 2024-25 campaign.

Los Angeles jumps from 20th overall to 12th in net rating at home, and it’s an impressive 7-5 against the spread in those games – one of the six-best marks in the NBA.

The key for Los Angeles? It ranks sixth in the NBA in offensive rating at home, which should be a massive advantage against Charlotte. The Hornets are 28th in the NBA in offensive rating on the road and just 26th in net rating.

While they’ve covered the majority of their games as road dogs, they’ve also posted an average scoring margin of -9.1 points per game in those contests.

I’ll buy this bounce-back spot for Los Angeles after a bad loss on the road on Tuesday. 

Pick: Lakers -8 (-110)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.