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Is LaMelo Ball Playing Tonight? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Hawks vs. Hornets)
UPDATE: LaMelo Ball is OUT on Tuesday night.
LaMelo Ball (wrist) ruled out Tuesday.
— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) March 18, 2025
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball was originally listed as probable with right wrist soreness ahead of Tuesday night's clash with the Atlanta Hawks, but he has now been downgraded to questionable.
LaMelo Ball (wrist) now questionable Tuesday.
— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) March 18, 2025
Atlanta was set as a favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook -- by 6.5 points -- in this matchup, but those odds have moved to Hawks -8 with the latest update around Ball.
The Hornets are down a key piece of their offense on Tuesday already, as Miles Bridges (rest) has been ruled out. That could lead to a big scoring game for Ball -- if he plays -- since he is averaging 25.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game while shooting 40.2 percent from the field and 33.5 percent from 3.
Ball's efficiency has been shaky this season, but he's also been asked to carry a massive load night in and night out for the Hawks.
While I don't have a prop for LaMelo in this game, I do have a betting pick from my NBA Best Bets column -- Peter's Points -- for this matchup:
Earlier this month, the Atlanta Hawks picked up a 13-point win at home against this Charlotte Hornets team, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see a similar result on Tuesday night.
Charlotte is sitting a bunch of players, including one of its leading scorers in Miles Bridges, which puts it in a tough spot after it scored 88 points in a 35-point loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.
The Hawks have a fast-paced attack that can put up points in bunches, and I’m not sold on the Charlotte offense (29th in offensive rating, 30th in effective field goal percentage) taking advantage of what has been a below average Atlanta defense this season.
Over their last 10 games, the Hornets are just 26th in the NBA in net rating despite winning three of those matchups. I expect Trae Young and the Hawks to get out in transition and score too much for this Hornets offense to keep pace.
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.
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Peter is a senior editor for Sports Illustrated Betting. He has worked as a writer and editor for BetSided, NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, and more. A New York City resident, he is a hoops fanatic with a soft spot for his New York Knicks.