Swarm and Sting
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Hornets vs. Thunder Preview: Odds, Lines, Predictions

By Trejan Rowbotham

Jan 21, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) dunks during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at The Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 21, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) dunks during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at The Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Charlotte Hornets conclude their two-game road trip on Monday, March 14, in Oklahoma City. The Swarm won their last contest fairly easily and will look to sweep the pair of away games before returning home on Wednesday, March 16.

Much like Friday’s opponent, the Thunder have not had the best of seasons. With plenty of young talent, the future looks bright for OKC, but the present has been ugly to say the least. Once again, a perfect foe for the Hornets, who need to commit to winning basketball to close the season.

Keys to the Game

Score, score, score. The Thunder rank last in the league in nearly every offensive category. Scoring, field goal percentage, three-point percentage, and assists are just a few of the categories they are last or next-to-last in. If the Hornets’ first-ranked offense can put up points in a hurry, the Thunder might not be able to come roaring back.

Let Shai get his, but stop everyone else. Right now, OKC is pretty much a one-man army. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been phenomenal all season, but he is just one person. If the Hornets can lock down every other player on the court, which should not be too difficult, then there will be plenty of room for the Hornets to emerge victorious.

Odds and Moneyline provided by BetUS 

Point spread: Hornets -10

Money line: Hornets -475 / Pelicans +375

Over-under: 231.5

The Hornets being favored over the Thunder makes complete sense. Charlotte should be able to push the pace and run the score up on OKC. Being a 10-point favorite on the road might be a little bit of a stretch. While the Thunder are not very good, they are still playing at home, and NBA teams play differently on their home court.

For the over/under, this one could get ugly, so the over is likely a safe bet. The Thunder have given up 133 points per game over their previous three contests. When combined with Charlotte’s first-ranked scoring offense, points should come cheap in this one.

Final Prediction

The Hornets win comfortably in the end, 127-118. LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, and Montrezl Harrell all finish with double-doubles, and Shai flirts with a triple-double in another Thunder loss. Charlotte’s high-powered offense overpowers their opponent, and the Hornets return home victors on both of their road games.

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