The Charlotte Hornets will visit the Los Angeles Lakers in a cross-conference matchup on Thursday’s NBA schedule. Los Angeles is 20-16 overall and 12-5 at home, while Charlotte is 8-27 overall and 2-14 on the road. The Lakers have won the last three meetings between these teams. The Hornets are 17-17-1 against the spread (ATS) in the 2024-25 NBA season, while the Lakers are 18-18 ATS.
Tipoff is at 10:30 p.m. ET at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The Lakers are favored by 8.5 points in the latest Hornets vs. Lakers odds, per SportsLine consensus, and the over/under is 221 points. Before entering any Lakers vs. Hornets picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past six-plus seasons. The model enters Week 12 of the 2024-25 NBA season on a sizzling 133-97 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning more than $3,000. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Los Angeles vs. Charlotte. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for Hornets vs. Lakers:
- Lakers vs. Hornets spread: Lakers -8.5
- Lakers vs. Hornets over/under: 221 points
- Lakers vs. Hornets money line: Lakers: -385, Hornets: +302
- Lakers vs. Hornets picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Lakers vs. Hornets streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why the Hornets can cover
Having struggled with 10 defeats in a row, the Hornets finally turned things around against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. They walked away with a 115-104 victory over Phoenix and can attribute much of their success to LaMelo Ball, who dropped a double-double on 32 points and 10 rebounds. The Charlotte bench contributed 35 points, paced by Nick Richards who had 15 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks.
The Hornets can pile up points in a hurry as they rank eighth in made 3-pointers per game, and even if their shot is off, they generate extra possessions by ranking second in offensive boards per game. Charlotte also defends the arc as just six teams allow a lower 3-point percentage than the team. Plus, the Hornets have performed admirably as road dogs this year, going 9-5 ATS as away underdogs. See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why the Lakers can cover
Meanwhile, the Lakers suffered a 118-97 loss at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday. In the defeat, both LeBron James and Anthony Davis recorded double-doubles as the Lakers had six players in double-figures. New acquisition Dorian Finney-Smith had 11 points and has scored in double-digits in his last two games with Los Angeles.
The Lakers remain one of the hottest teams versus the spread as they are 10-4 ATS over their last 14 contests. Meanwhile, Charlotte is just 6-9 versus the spread over its last 15 games. With perennial Defensive Player of the Year contender Davis patrolling the paint, L.A. can take advantage of Charlotte’s inefficient offense as the Hornets rank dead last in field goal percentage, 29th in points per game and 29th in offensive rating. See which team to back at SportsLine.
How to make Lakers vs. Hornets picks
The model has simulated Hornets vs. Lakers 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Over, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that has all the value. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Lakers vs. Hornets on Thursday, and which side of the spread has all of the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Hornets vs. Lakers spread to back, all from the model that has returned well over $10,000 on top-rated NBA picks, and find out.
