Spread & over/under predictions: Charlotte Hornets at Utah Jazz

Picks for tonight's Hornets game in Utah.
Feb 22, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA;  Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) shoots the ball over Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton (2) during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images
Feb 22, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) shoots the ball over Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton (2) during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images / Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images
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The Charlotte Hornets (8-28) continue their road trip on Wednesday, this time headed to Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Jazz (10-28).

The Hornets are coming off the losing end of a home-and-home split against the Suns. Winners of just two games since the beginning of December, Charlotte finds themselves ten games back from a play-in spot with just over three weeks until the trade deadline. 

With all five preferred starters finally healthy, seeing what this team has in the tank before potentially franchise-altering decisions need to be made will be paramount for first year GM Jeff Peterson and first year coach Charles Lee.

The opposing Jazz doesn’t fare much better in the standings. Nine games back from a play-in spot in the Western Conference with a variety of injuries to key players, this season certainly has not gone as expected for Utah.

In spite of this, the team is actually showing signs of life with three of their ten wins coming since the New Year, as well as a couple of close losses to playoff-caliber teams. Dealing with excessive injuries can derail any NBA team’s season, but the Jazz have shown that they can remain competitive anyway.

Here are my picks for tonight's game. Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

Star ratings (Strength of prediction):

1 Star - Not very confident
2 Star - A little confident
3 Star - Fairly confident
4 Star - Very confident
5 Star - Should be a lock to happen

Spread: Hornets -5.5

5-star play on the Hornets (-5.5): This line might come as a shocker- until you look at the injury report. Lauri Markkanen (back), John Collins (hip), Jordan Clarkson (plantar), Johnny Juzang (hand), and Taylor Hendricks (fibula) are all out for the contest, and Walker Kessler (rest) and Keyonte George (heel) are both questionable as well.

Despite being a road game against a team with a better record, this is perhaps one of the easiest matchups the Hornets will get all season. The starting lineup is intact, and the team has had bright spots recently like Mark Williams putting up 24pts/16reb/4ast/1blk on 75% shooting against the Suns last time out.

If all of the players on the injury report do indeed miss the matchup, the Jazz will be leaning most heavily on the likes of players such as Collin Sexton, Isaiah Collier, Cody Williams, and Drew Eubanks. Former Hornets player Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk could also be in line for a notable role in that scenario.

In a season where the Hornets will be an outright favorite only a handful of times, the opportunity looks too good to pass up. The Hornets should be able to win this game by more than a couple of possessions if they truly take advantage of the opportunity. 


Over/Under: 220.5

1-star play on the under: The Hornets had seen the under hit in eight straight games before their last game against the Suns. The over has not seen a notable pattern recently in Jazz games, but the team is 29th in the NBA in defensive rating with a middling pace rating to compliment.

The Hornets are just 29th in offensive rating and 23rd in pace which does not scream “carry this game to the over against the other team’s will.” Add in the fact that Charlotte actually has jumped from bottom of the barrel defensively to the sixth-ranked 110.5 defensive rating over their last ten games, and it is tough to see how Utah holds up their end of the deal here.

Ultimately the recommendation here would be to avoid the line due to all of the injuries for Utah. With all of the factors at play though, taking the under would be absolutely reasonable if you can stomach some extra variance.

My picks this season:

ATS: 14-9 (60.9%)

O/U: 12-11  (52.2%)

Overall: 26-20 (56.5%)

Odds Disclaimer

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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