Hawks vs Hornets

Atlanta’s core of Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels, with Trae Young trending toward a return, visits a Hornets team that has only two wins in its last six and is still missing Collin Sexton, Tre Mann, Pat Connaughton and possibly LaMelo Ball. With Atlanta scoring 118 points per game at a top-10 pace and Charlotte combining a 114.8 offensive output with a bottom-tier 118+ defensive rating, the matchup leans heavily toward the deeper, healthier side even with Kristaps Porzingis still sidelined. Young also crushed this matchup last season, averaging about 30 points and 9 assists while the Hawks swept the four-game series, underscoring how Charlotte’s shaky defense struggles to contain his pick-and-roll heavy attack when he’s available at all. At -205 the price isn’t cheap, but given the Hornets’ injury-riddled backcourt and recent inconsistency, backing the Hawks on the Moneyline earns an A- grade. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 18/12/2025 09:47am

LaMelo Ball’s Hornets finally grabbed just their second win in six games with that grindy OT upset in Cleveland, while Atlanta steadied itself by edging the 76ers after being blown out in Detroit, and those uneven stretches point more toward volatility than a pure track meet at 239.5. Even with the Hawks pushing pace around 101 and scoring 118 a night, their games are averaging roughly 235 total points, while the slower-paced Hornets (around 99 possessions, 114.8 points per game) are closer to 233 combined when you factor in their leaky defense. Layer on the fact that both backcourts are banged up—Young still nursing a knee, Ball an ankle, and several Hornets guards ruled out—plus Charlotte’s recent reliance on half-court creation from Miles Bridges and rookies like Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller, and it’s easy to see this stalling just below the number more often than not. I’m on Under 239.5 at -110 for a B+ grade, expecting injuries and a slightly slower tempo to keep it nearer season-long scoring norms than a 240+ explosion. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 18/12/2025 09:47am

Charlotte’s wing duo of Miles Bridges and Brandon Miller has kept them competitive during a 2-4 skid, but without Sexton, Mann, Connaughton and with Ball still uncertain, their late-game execution has already cracked in losses like the blown 13-point lead to Chicago, and that’s a concern laying only 5.5 against Atlanta. The Hawks’ form has been choppy too, yet they just beat a strong Sixers side even without Young and Porzingis, and Young’s history of dominating this matchup (near 30 and 9 as Atlanta swept last season’s series by double-digit margins) looms as an upside kicker if he’s cleared. Given Charlotte’s negative overall profile—outscored on the season with one of the league’s worst defensive ratings—and the Hawks’ top-tier offense and deeper rotation, I’m willing to lay the -5.5 at -105 with Atlanta for a B-grade play, expecting their shot creation to eventually stretch this beyond a one-possession game despite some road variance risk. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 18/12/2025 09:47am