The Los Angeles Lakers will welcome the Charlotte Hornets to Crypto.com Arena for a late-night standalone NBA matchup. This game was initially scheduled for January 9. However, the LA fires forced the NBA to reschedule for tonight.
Originally, the NBA All-Star Break would’ve lasted until tomorrow. However, we get an NBA regular season matchup tonight instead. Let’s take advantage of it at the top-rated sportsbooks. Here’s a full breakdown of tonight’s Hornets-Lakers game with picks using our computer model.
NBA Pick
- Lakers -12.5 (-110) at Bet365 (check our Bet365 Review)
Charlotte Hornets vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Wednesday, February 19, 2025 – 10:00 PM ET at Crypto.com Arena
The AI Model believes the Lakers will add a 13-point win, 120-107. Therefore, the best bet for this game is the Lakers at -12.5. Ultimately, a 13-point win would help the Lakers cover against the spread.
Will Mark Williams Play
The Los Angeles Lakers agreed to a deal that sent Mark Williams to Los Angeles and Dalton Knecht to the Hornets. However, that deal fell through since Williams failed his physical with Los Angeles. Therefore, the trade was rescinded and never actually went through.
Since all that went down, Mark Williams hasn’t played for the Hornets again. Ultimately, he has had many injuries in his short NBA career. After all, he’s played only 85 games in three seasons.
That said, reports have surfaced that the Hornets expect Williams to play in this game against the Lakers. There were also photos of yesterday’s practice with LaMelo Ball and Williams on the court together. Williams will play, but that doesn’t mean the Hornets will be much better. At 13-39, Charlotte is in tank mode and already looking to next year.
What About LeBron James?
LeBron James missed this weekend’s All-Star game with an injury. Now, reports indicate that the Lakers could sit James for two more games before playing him again. As of now, James is questionable for tonight. But don’t be surprised if he’s unable to go and out.
That said, Luka Doncic will have no minutes restriction for the Lakers moving forward. If James is out, it’ll be Doncic’s team. He hasn’t played exceptionally well for the Lakers just yet. However, Doncic could take full control of the Lakers’ offense with James off the court. That usually worked well for him in Dallas.
We should also see more Dalton Knecht in this game.
Charlotte’s Pitiful Offense
The Charlotte Hornets rank 28th in points per 100 possessions. The offense has added just a 50.6% effective field goal percentage and rarely gets to the foul line. Additionally, the Hornets have turned the ball over 15.6% of the time.
They’re good on the offensive glass but still won’t shoot at a high percentage.
Beyond that, the Lakers have limited teams to a 17.1 free throw rate. Don’t expect the Hornets to be aggressive enough to consistently get to the foul line. In fact, the Lakers still rank inside the top 15 in defensive points per 100 possessions and effective field goal percentage.
Without Anthony Davis and potentially LeBron James, the Lakers’ defense might not be as crisp. But it’s still in the DNA.
Trusting Luka Doncic
It’s still unclear if LeBron James will even play. However, Luka Doncic won’t have a minutes restriction and should lead the Lakers.
The Lakers already rank 8th in the NBA in points per 100 possessions. Los Angeles is also the best team at getting to the foul line this season. Beyond that, the Lakers have shot a 56% effective field goal percentage and have turned the ball over just 13.8% of the time.
Los Angeles has good pieces to surround Doncic. Austin Reaves has been absolutely on fire, especially when James isn’t playing. Reaves should also have a huge game.
The Pick
This will be an awkward first game in the second half of the NBA. After the failed trade, seeing how Williams and Knecht respond and play will be interesting. In addition, we don’t even know if LeBron will play. However, we do know that Luka Doncic is a superstar and has the potential to go off tonight.
Thanks to the AI Model, I’ll stick with the Lakers at -12.5.
NBA Pick: Lakers -12.5 (-110) at Bet365
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