The Charlotte Hornets schedule has been released and fans are starting to anticipate the beginning of the NBA season. The Charlotte Hornets odds for their win total are -122 for the over and +100 for the under on a win total prediction of 29.5. This total indicates some optimism for improvement on the weak Hornets season last year. Our 2024-25 NBA betting preview will look at the roster and season outlook to determine if the Charlotte Hornets odds are worth betting on.
2024-25 NBA Betting Preview: Charlotte Hornets Win Total Odds
*All Charlotte Hornets odds are courtesy of FanDuel.com*
The Past Charlotte Hornets Odds
The Hornets have gone under their projected win total for the last two seasons. Since the 2021-22 season where they were projected for 38.5 wins, they have steadily been projected lower each year. Now, they are projected at 29.5, two wins less than last year’s line of 31.5.
Pick a starting 5:
Melo Cade
Miller Ivey
Bridges Ausar
G. Williams Harris
M. Williams Duren pic.twitter.com/PvjF9sx3mD— StatMuse (@statmuse) September 27, 2024
Last season they could only win 21 games, their lowest total since the 2012-13 season as the Charlotte Bobcats. The Hornets would need to win nine more games than last season to beat their NBA odds for this year. This seems like a huge increase judging by their roster upgrades this offseason, but youth development could also lead to more wins.
LaMelo Please Ball
LaMelo Ball for Internal Media Day. pic.twitter.com/ceWQowSd6X
— MeloHive
(@Meloleague) September 26, 2024
The key to the Hornets roster is LaMelo Ball. His young career has been plagued with injuries. Ball is only 23 years old and shows a tantalizing upside that can intrigue any bettor. He only played 27 games last season and has only played over 60 games once in his four-year career. Ball averaged 23.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game last season.
Ball’s health could be the main factor in whether the Hornets overcome their projected win total. In his career with the Hornets, they have won 44.6% of their games when he plays and only 31.3% without him. If that pattern holds they would smash their win projection if he is healthy all year but fall short if he isn’t.
Hornets Roster Changes and Outlook
With the sixth overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft, the Hornets drafted Tidjane Salaun. They also picked up Josh Green from the Dallas Mavericks and recently signed Harry Giles III to a one-year contract. Although none of these players are likely to move the needle that much, solid fringe pickups are essential, especially when your star player has injury issues.
Brandon Miller tonight:
35 PTS (Career-High)
6 REB
2 BLK
5-12 3PM pic.twitter.com/FYOXrzoJsy— Israel (@iohandles) February 5, 2024
The players on the Hornets roster who are more likely to make a big impact this season are Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, Mark Williams, and Cody Martin. Miller is in his second season with the Hornets. He had a very solid rookie season and it is reasonable to expect another jump in his sophomore season. Bridges is also primed for improvement after his solid season back after missing the 2022-23 season. He averaged over 20 points a game last year in 69 games for the Hornets.
If LaMelo is healthy and the Hornets’ other young players improve, winning 30 games shouldn’t be difficult for the Hornets. The problem is that those are both big ifs. We imagine teams like the Nets and Wizards will be worse, but 29.5 games still could be a challenge.
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