Charlotte Hornets vs. Boston Celtics Predictions, Picks and NBA Preview – December 16, 2016

Charlotte Hornets vs. Boston Celtics Preview

Where: TD Garden, Boston

When: Friday, December 16, 2016, 7:30 PM ET

Line: Charlotte Hornets (TBA) vs. Boston Celtics (TBA) – view all NBA lines

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Betting on the Charlotte Hornets (TBA)

Charlotte’s losing woes show no sign of abating as the Hornets crashed to their third consecutive defeat with a gut-wrenching 109-106 loss to Washington on Wednesday night. The Hornets are now 0-3 to start a grueling five-game road trip after losses at Cleveland on Saturday, then at Indiana on Monday.

The Hornets will look to end their losing rut when they face the Boston Celtics this coming Friday. For Charlotte to record the much-needed victory, it needs to improve on its play on the defensive end. In their last three losses, opponents have scored an average of 111.7 points. They can ill afford such a defensive display against a Boston side that’s averaging 104.3 points per game this season.

With regards to their offense, the Hornets are expected to ride the hot hand of Nicolas Batum. He scored a team-high 20 points and dished out eight dimes in that loss to Washington. Batum leads Charlotte in rebounds and assists this season. Also expected to contribute this Friday is star point guard Kemba Walker. He’s averaging a team-high 22.6 points per game this campaign. Walker scored 29 points in Charlotte’s 104-98 loss to Boston earlier this season.

Charlotte is 3-6-1 ATS in its last 10 road games. The Hornets are pegged at +6,000 to win the 2017 NBA Championship.

Betting on the Boston Celtics (TBA)

Another team that’s struggling at the moment is Boston. The Celtics are in the midst of a three-game losing streak as well, punctuated by a 108-101 defeat to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday. They had difficulty stopping Tony Parker in that ballgame, with the Frenchman scoring 10 of his 16 points in the final quarter.

Help is on the way, though, for the reeling Celtics with point guard Isaiah Thomas returning to the starting lineup for Friday’s clash with Charlotte. The diminutive guard suffered a right groin injury on December 5 at Houston which has kept him out of action for the last four games. Boston went 1-3 during that stretch.

Thomas has been a vital cog in Boston’s success this season, leading the team not only in scoring (26.0 PPG) but also in assists (6.2 APG) as well. He scored 24 points and dished out seven assists in the Celtics’ win against the Hornets last month. Boston has dominated this matchup of late, winning eight of its last 10 meetings with Charlotte.

Boston is 0-5 ATS in its last five home games. The Celtics are pegged at +4,000 to win the 2017 NBA Championship.

Writer’s Prediction

The Celtics snap their three-game losing skid with a narrow 102-99 win over the Hornets.

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