Warriors vs. Hornets forecast, odds, selection

The NBA will celebrate the New Year with a full slate of games starting with this first cross-conference. The Golden State Warriors (17-16) will visit Charlotte Hornets (11-21) as the two teams open their season series against each other. Check out ours NBA odds series for Warriors-Hornets prediction and pick.

The Golden State Warriors are eighth in the Western Conference after their last win over the Brooklyn Nets with a score of 210-107. After posting a three-game losing streak, they have won four of their last five games and will be looking for their first win over Charlotte as heavy betting favorites on the road.

The Charlotte Hornets are 12th in the Eastern Conference, and last fell 123-113 to the Milwaukee Bucks. Despite a 6-4 record in their last 10 games, they are still 10 games under .500 and will need to make up some serious ground if they want to save the season early.

NBA odds thanks to DraftKings

Warriors vs. Hornets Odds

Golden State Warriors: -7.5 (-102)

Charlotte Hornets: +7.5 (-118)

Over: 233.5 (-108)

Under: 233.5 (-112)

Warriors vs. Hornets Key Injuries

Golden State: Seth Curry (sciatica – OUT)

Charlotte: Kon Knuepel (ankle – probably) / Miles Bridges (ankle – questionable) / Pat Connaughton (ankle – questionable) / Ryan Kalkbrenner (elbow – OUT) / Mason Plumlee (groin – OUT) / Grant Williams (knee – OUT)

Betting Trends Warriors vs. Hornets

• The Charlotte Hornets are 7-9 at home. The Golden State Warriors are 7-12 on the road.
• The Hornets are 17-15 ATS overall, 9-7 ATS at home. The Warriors are 16-17 ATS overall, 8-11 ATS on the road.
• The Warriors are 13-10 betting favorites. The Hornets are 9-19 as underdogs.
• The Warriors are 7-3, 6-3-1 ATS in their last 10 games against the Hornets.
• The Hornets are 5-2 ATS in the last seven games.
• The total is gone OVER in four of the Warriors’ last five games.
• The total is gone UNDER in 12 of the Hornets’ last 16 games.

Keys to Warriors vs. Hornets Matchup

As these two teams prepare to meet for the first time this season, the Charlotte Hornets enter this matchup with a number of injuries to their starting rotation. Center Ryan Kalkbrenner has been unavailable for much of this season, opening the door for Moussa Diabate to earn some valuable relief minutes. Rookie Kon Kneppel is also day-to-day with an injury, and veteran Miles Bridges is ‘questionable’ with an ankle injury ahead of this one.

On the other hand, the franchise defender LaMelo Ball has been healthy this season and leads the offense with the ball in his hands. However, with just 20.0 PPG on the season so far, he sees his lowest annual mark since his sophomore season in 2021. The regression in scoring has certainly affected the team as a whole, ranking in the top 12 in the league in points per game (115.5). They will need the likes of Josh Green and Colin Sexton to make significant contributions off the bench if they are to claim a crushing victory at home.

The Golden State Warriors will be a tough opponent, however, and have won their last five straight games against this Charlotte Hornets team. Steph Curry continues to have another career season as he ranks ninth in the NBA in scoring (28.8 PPG). To add, Jimmy Butler he gave this team a huge boost through travel thanks to his intensity on the defensive floor. He’s also shooting an efficient 51.6% from the floor, making smart shots when it matters most and coming up in game moments.

The Warriors are certainly a healthier team and are at their best when the bench is able to step up while the starters are rested. The Warriors have more depth on the bench and while this game could be tight for the first few quarters, ultimately the Warriors should pull away late in the game to win.

Warriors vs. Hornets Prediction and Pick

It will be an interesting meeting between these two teams for the first time this season, but the Charlotte Hornets are seriously compromised in the starting lineup. The losses of Miles Bridges and Ryan Kalkbrenner could be especially damaging because they will no longer have the advantage in the paint.

The Warriors, on the other hand, are much healthier and should be motivated to continue their current run with another win against a team with a losing record. Let’s play the Golden State Warriors to cover the spread because they should start pulling away in the fourth quarter. The Hornets should fight solidly through the early stages, but the depth of the Warriors’ bench will prove to be too much.

Final Warriors-Hornets Prediction & Pick: Golden State Warriors -7.5 (-102); UNDER 233.5 (-112)