The Charlotte Hornets (2-3) will get another opportunity to beat the Boston Celtics (5-1) when they meet on Saturday evening. Charlotte came up short in the first of back-to-back meetings on Friday, falling in a 124-109 final. Boston was coming off its first loss of the season, as it lost to Indiana in overtime on Wednesday night. Charlotte is hoping to get back to the .500 mark before heading to Minnesota on Monday.
Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. ET on Saturday at Spectrum Center. The Celtics are favored by 11.5 points in the latest Hornets vs. Celtics odds, while the over/under is 231.5 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Celtics 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 2 of the 2024-25 NBA season on a sizzling 98-63 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning more than $2,900. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Boston-Charlotte. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the game:
- Hornets vs. Celtics spread: Celtics -11.5
- Hornets vs. Celtics over/under: 231.5 points
- Hornets vs. Celtics money line: Celtics -606, Hornets +438
- Hornets vs. Celtics picks: See picks here
- Hornets vs. Celtics streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why the Hornets can cover
Charlotte was unable to cover the spread as a double-digit underdog on Friday night, but it only trailed Boston by one point with eight minutes remaining. Point guard LaMelo Ball had 31 points and four assists, shooting 12 of 25 from the floor. Backup point guard Tre Mann added 23 points on 10 of 18 shooting off the bench, going over 20 points for the third time in his first five games of the season.
Rookie Tidjane Salaun was another bright spot for the Hornets, scoring nine points and grabbing six rebounds in 19 minutes. Charlotte knocked down 19 3-pointers, with six players drilling at least two triples. Boston attempted 35 of the game's 47 free throws, so a closer margin on Saturday could flip the outcome. See which team to pick here.
Why the Celtics can cover
The defending NBA champions are off to a fantastic start this season, winning five of its first six games, with its lone loss coming against Indiana in overtime. Boston had five players score in double figures on Friday, paced by a 32-point, 11-rebound effort from forward Jayson Tatum. Small forward Jaylen Brown had 25 points, six rebounds and five assists, converting on 9 of 10 free-throw attempts.
Tatum is averaging 30.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, while Brown is scoring 25.7 points and 7.2 rebounds. The Celtics have won nine of the last 10 meetings between these teams, covering the spread in seven of those games. Charlotte has only covered the spread once in its last five home games, and it is 6-14 in its last 20 games dating back to last season. See which team to pick here.
How to make Hornets vs. Celtics picks
The model has simulated Celtics vs. Hornets 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Under, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Hornets vs. Celtics, and which side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Celtics vs. Hornets spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a 98-63 roll on top-rated NBA picks, and find out.
