Charlotte Hornets at Miami Heat: Odds, injuries, storylines

MIAMI, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 11: LaMelo Ball #2 of the Charlotte Hornets controls the ball against Kyle Lowry #7 of the Miami Heat during the preseason game at FTX Arena on October 11, 2021 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 11: LaMelo Ball #2 of the Charlotte Hornets controls the ball against Kyle Lowry #7 of the Miami Heat during the preseason game at FTX Arena on October 11, 2021 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /
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The Charlotte Hornets take on the Miami Heat in the FTX Arena tonight at 7:30 PM Eastern on ESPN. This will be the first of the Hornets’ nationally televised games this season.

The Miami Heat, 3-1 are looking strong to begin this season after acquiring both Kyle Lowry and PJ Tucker this offseason, while maintaining high-level shooters such as Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson.

The Charlotte Hornets, on the other hand, have been led by the young star duo of LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, both of whom have looked impressive this season. It’ll be an interesting game for Charlotte, who has yet to lose a game before overtime this year.

Charlotte Hornets odds at Miami Heat

The Charlotte Hornets are 6.5-point underdogs to the Heat on Friday night, according to WynnBET. Additionally, the over/under for the game is set at 222 points. The Heat have three games which they scored 107 points or less, so that line may be worth a look.

Streaming info for Charlotte Hornets at Miami Heat

TV: ESPN

Radio: WFNZ 610

Storylines for Charlotte Hornets at Miami Heat

The Charlotte Hornets will likely be without rotational big man PJ Washington, leaving Mason Plumlee and Nick Richards as the primary defender for Bam Adebayo. That isn’t very promising, and the Hornets will have to find other matchups to win.

LaMelo Ball had a really rough outing on Wednesday night, scoring only seven points on his 14 shot attempts. Being defended by Kyle Lowry, will he be able to get back to his strong start – or will the Hornets have to find other ways to get the ball in the basket?

Jimmy Butler is an amazing basketball player. Luckily for the Hornets, they have one of the most versatile frontcourts in the league, and Kelly Oubre, Gordon Hayward, and Miles Bridges will all likely take turns guarding Butler. Whether it works could decide the outcome for tonight’s game.

Injury Report for Charlotte Hornets at Miami Heat

Heat:

Bam Adebayo – PROBABLE (knee)

Kyle Lowry – PROBABLE (elbow)

Victor Oladipo – OUT (quad)

Hornets:

PJ Washington – DOUBTFUL (knee)

Terry Rozier – QUESTIONABLE (ankle)

Next. What is the Miles Bridges extension going to look like?. dark

Follow along with our Twitter for game coverage – and check back here postgame for takeaways from the game!