The ESPN BPI predicts the Hornets to end losing streak on Monday

The Hornets have lost five-straight games coming in.

Jan 15, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) dunks against Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) during the second quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images / Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

The Hornets (18-56) take a quick pitstop at home on Monday to face the Utah Jazz (16-59) before hitting the road again. The Hornets will be looking to sweep the season series after winning the January meeting in Utah by a score of 117-112. Mark Williams posted what was then a career-high 31 points in the effort to help lead his team to victory.

What the BPI says

According to the ESPN Basketball Power Index (BPI) matchup predictor, the Hornets are actually given a 55.8% chance to emerge victorious, one of the rare instances where the team has been favored this season by the metric. This is especially notable given that the Hornets are at a clear rest disadvantage, having played last night, while the Jazz have not played since Friday. 

Taking a look over at the injury report can paint a better picture for the Hornets being favored though, as notable contributors for the Jazz such as Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, John Collins, and Collin Sexton are all set to miss the game.

Charlotte's recent games

The Hornets come into the matchup losers of five straight. Since beating the Knicks on March 20th, the only two teams have a worse offensive rating than the Hornets 104.1 points per 100 possessions. Luckily for them, no team in the league is worse than the 100.6 offensive rating sported by the Jazz over the same time frame.

Miles Bridges' shot has gone especially cold from deep as of late, evidenced by him converting just 3-30 three-point attempts over his last four games. The team as a whole is shooting just 32.1% from deep over the same stretch.

Utah's recent games

The Jazz also enter the matchup losers of five-straight games. Beyond the aforementioned offensive struggles, the defense is struggling just as much with a 128.0 defensive rating during the losing streak. The struggles on both ends of the court have culminated in an average margin of defeat of 27.0 for the team over the stretch. 

The opponents over the stretch are worth mentioning for context. With the five games played coming against Boston, Cleveland, Memphis, Houston, and Denver, the Jazz have played just about as hard of a schedule as possible coming into the matchup with the Hornets.

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