Charlotte Hornets at Boston Celtics NBA Picks & Predictions 12/23/2018

Sunday, December 23, 2018

TD Garden

Get todays NBA odds and lines on this game.

The Charlotte Hornets travel to TD Garden to play the Boston Celtics on Sunday, December 23, 2018. The opening line for this matchup has Boston as 7 point favorites.

The Hornets have a record of 16-15. They are 1st in the Southeast Division. They have a point differential of 2.6 as they average 113.2 points per game while giving up 110.6 per contest. The Celtics have an overall mark of 18-13. They currently are 3rd in the Atlantic Division. They total 111.1 points per contest and give up 104.8, which is a point differential of 6.3.

Valuable Charlotte Hornets Betting Trends

The Charlotte Hornets are 17-14-0 against the spread

The Charlotte Hornets are 16-15-0 against the over/under

Important Boston Celtics Betting Trends

The Boston Celtics are 15-16-0 against the spread

The Boston Celtics are 18-13-0 against the over/under

Key Charlotte Hornets Injuries

No key injuries to report

Key Boston Celtics Injuries

12/21/18 F Al Horford Knee is questionable Sunday vs Charlotte
12/21/18 F Marcus Morris Knee is questionable Sunday vs Charlotte
12/19/18 C Aron Baynes Hand is out indefinitely

Player Spotlight

Jeremy Lamb averages 14.9 points per game in 28.9 minutes per contest. He averages 1.8 assists per contest and 5.8 rebounds per game. His field goal percentage is 44% for the year while his free throw percentage is 88%. Kemba Walker comes into this contest averaging 25.0 points per game while playing 34.8 minutes per night. He pulls down 4.4 rebounds per game and dishes out 6.3 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 42% while his free throw percentage is at 83%.

Player Spotlight

Jayson Tatum averages 16.8 points per game and he sees the court an average of 31.4 minutes per contest. He also averages 6.5 rebounds per contest and 1.7 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 46% and his free throw percentage is 85%. Kyrie Irving averages 22.6 points per game while playing 32.1 minutes per contest. He grabs 4.9 rebounds per game and has 6.4 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 48% and his free throw percentage is at 84%.

Useful Team Statistics

The Hornets allow 110.6 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 18th in the league. They also allow a 46% shooting percentage and a 35% average from behind the arc, ranking them 16th and 11th in those defensive categories. Opponents average 46.0 rebounds a game which ranks 22nd, and they give up 25.4 assists per contest which puts them in 26th place in the league. They force 14.4 turnovers per game which ranks them 17th in the league. Charlotte averages 113.2 points per contest this season, which ranks them 9th in the NBA. Their average scoring margin is 2.6 and their shooting percentage is 46% as a team, which has them ranked 15th. Behind the arc they shoot 36% which is good for 9th in the league. They average 44.0 rebounds per game and 24.2 assists per contest, which ranks them 20th and 17th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 30th with 12.1 per game.

Useful Team Statistics

The Celtics surrender 104.8 points per contest, which ranks them 4th in the NBA. Their defense allows a 44% shooting percentage and a 33% average from 3-point range, ranking them 3rd and 4th in those defensive statistics. They rank 4th with 22.2 assists allowed per contest, and 19th with 45.7 rebounds surrendered per game. The Celtics are 26th in the NBA in forcing turnovers with 15.9 per game. Boston is 14th in the league with 111.1 points per game this year. They are 21st in the league in shooting at 45%, while their average scoring margin is 6.3. They shoot 36% from 3-point range, which is good for 6th in the NBA. They are 11th in the league in rebounding with 45.7 boards per game and 8th in assists per contest with 25.1. The Celtics are 27th in turnovers per game with 12.9.

Advanced Statistics

The Hornets are 9th in the NBA in offensive rating with 112.4, and their defensive rating of 109.9 is ranked 16th. In terms of pace they are 13th in the league with 99.6 possessions per 48 minutes, and their effective field goal percentage of 52% is 17th. As a team they are 13th in the NBA in true shooting percentage with 56% and they shoot 3-pointers on 37% of their shots, ranking 12th in the league. Charlotte is 30th in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 10.7 times per 100 possessions while forcing 12.7 on the defensive end. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the season currently is 53%, which is 12th in the league.

Advanced Statistics

Boston is 27th in the league in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 11.5 times per 100 possessions while forcing 14.1 on defense. Their defensive eFG% for the year currently is 50%, which is 28th in the NBA. The Celtics are 13th in the league in defensive rating with 104.7, and their offensive rating of 111 is ranked 3rd. They are 18th in the NBA in pace with 99.1 possessions per 48 minutes, and their eFG% of 52% is 13th. As a unit they are 18th in the league in true shooting percentage with 56% and they shoot 3-pointers on 40% of their shot attempts, ranking 3rd in the NBA.

Who will win tonight's Hornets/Celtics NBA game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take Boston -7

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