Hornets vs. Lakers Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for January 2 (Defense Takes Back Seat at Spectrum Center)

Hornets vs. Lakers Game Info

• Date: Monday, January 2, 2023
• Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
• Venue: Spectrum Center -- Charlotte, North Carolina
• Coverage: BSSE and SportsNet LA

The 2022-23 NBA season continues on Monday with 11 more games, including a battle between the Los Angeles Lakers and Charlotte Hornets. The Lakers rank 13th in the Western Conference with a 15-21 record, while the Hornets check in 14th in the Eastern Conference with a dismal 10-27 record.

Los Angeles enters as a victor in two of its last three games following a 130-121 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday. Meanwhile, Charlotte has dropped four of its last six games after losing to the Brooklyn Nets by a score of 123-106 on Saturday. Which team will emerge victorious on Monday?

Hornets vs. Lakers Odds & Spread

All NBA betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.

Lakers vs Hornets Betting Information

Favorite	Spread	Favorite Spread Odds	Underdog Spread Odds	Total	Over Total Odds	Under Total Odds	Favorite Moneyline	Underdog Moneyline
Lakers	-0.5	-	-	232.5	-110	-110	-108	-108

The Hornets enter this contest as slight home favorites on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 7 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 242.5 points, which is above average compared to Monday's projected totals.

Hornets vs. Lakers Betting Trends

• The Lakers put together a 36-46-0 record against the spread last season.
• The Hornets went 29-22-2 as underdogs of 0.5 points or more last season.
• A total of 47 Lakers games last season hit the over.
• Out of 82 Hornets games last year, 41 hit the over.

Hornets vs. Lakers Prediction & Pick

LeBron James is not afraid to put the Lakers on his shoulders, as the 38-year-old just torched Atlanta for 47 points (18-of-27 shooting), 10 rebounds and 9 assists on Friday night. He will need to keep putting together stellar performances with Anthony Davis sidelined by a foot injury.

The good news is that James and the rest of LA's offense should have no trouble balling out on Monday. Charlotte ranks 26th in defensive rating this season and is allowing a whopping 118.0 points per game (No. 28 in NBA). The Hornets don't have a defender capable of shutting James down.

Los Angeles is 6-2 straight up in its last eight games against Charlotte, so I'll back the Lakers with confidence.

Final Score Prediction: Hornets: 121 | Lakers: 126

Hornets vs. Lakers Best Bet

Backing the Lakers as an underdog has some value here, but backing the over has much more value. The total has hit the over in six of LA's last seven games overall as well as in eight of their last nine away games. The over has also cashed in six of the last eight games between these two teams.

Charlotte's defensive struggles were highlighted above. It's also worth pointing out that the Lakers rank 21st in defensive rating and allow 117.7 points per game (No. 27 in NBA). Both of these teams rank among the top 10 in pace, too, which makes betting on a high-scoring game worth a shot.

Bet: Over 242.5 Points (-110)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.