Charlotte Hornets vs Sacramento Kings Pick and Odds (Feb 24)

• The woeful Charlotte Hornets have lost 2 straight coming out of the break
• The Kings can make the playoffs but lost their prior game to the Warriors
• This is the first meeting of 2024-25 between the teams

The Hornets are 14-41 and languishing at 14th in the Eastern Conference. They are 0-2 since the All-Star break and in their last game were humiliated by the Trail Blazers 141-88. They have lost 13 of 16. The Kings are 28-28 after a blowout loss to the Warriors. They are 10th in the West but are still well within striking distance of a play-in opportunity to make the NBA playoffs. How will these two teams respond after huge losses?

Charlotte Reached an Impressive New Low in Portland

There’s no silver lining in a 53-point loss. Portland enjoyed its biggest win in franchise history over Charlotte.

Guard LaMelo Ball is an All-Star caliber player averaging nearly 27 PPG and just over 7 assists. Miles Bridges averages just over 20 PPG. Still, scoring is an issue for Charlotte averaging 106 PPG. Defensively, they are respectable at 12th in the NBA. They are also a solid rebounding team with centers Mark Williams and Jusuf Nurkić.

Still, the Hornets are an objective disaster upon whom playoff contenders need to fatten their records.

Sacramento Must Beat Teams Like Charlotte

In its first game after the All-Star break, the Kings lost going away to the Warriors 132-108. The loss dropped them to 28-28. But they are still fighting for a chance to make the playoffs.

The Kings have lost six of their last 10. DeMar DeRozan scored 34 in the loss to Golden State. Zach Lavine, who has averaged just over 20 points since coming over from Chicago, was held to 13. Domantas Sabonis scored 14 and had 14 rebounds.

Kings vs Hornets Pick: Sacramento Should Win Easily

Sacramento is a top-10 team in scoring and is weak defensively. The teams are both about even at rebounding. Still, the Hornets are looking toward the offseason when they can reassess and hope for a very high draft pick. The Kings need to win games against terrible teams to have a chance at the playoffs. That’s what they will do as they win by more than 10.