I find this price rather intriguing because there really isn't much separating these teams, and yet Charlotte is being offered at a rather generous number on its home floor. Both teams won their opening games, the Hornets won 44 games last season (just two fewer than Atlanta), and took three out of four meetings against the Hawks, including both encounters in the Queen City. So the Hornets know that they can play with the Hawks and have an emotional edge here too. Why then, are they the underdog?
I appreciate that Charlotte is shorthanded without Kon Knueppel and Coby White, but the Hornets still went into Brooklyn and won their opener despite committing a whopping 20 turnovers. Naz Reid had a double-double and Grayson Allen brought in 21 bench points. Brandon Miller and Dennis Schroeder remain legitimate scoring threats. But Charlotte was supposed to win, that's the difference. Atlanta was a road dog at Orlando and made an exclamation point. Atlanta scored 132 points in its opening game victory, which will carry clout since the Magic are known to bow their necks at home and prefer a rock fight. However, despite the Magic having offensive concerns from last season, the Hawks also surrendered 125. That's hardly a ringing endorsement of its defensive capabilities, particularly against a Charlotte outfit that has plenty of offensive upside.
Atlanta is priced like the superior team, but the gap isn't that substantial. Being expected to win on the road against a like opponent is a far different assignment than being a pup pulling an upset on the road. Atlanta is likely to learn the difference this evening in the Queen City. Hornets outright.
Hawks vs Hornets prediction: Charlotte Hornets +130 (ML) available at time of writing. Playable to +120.
