Clippers vs. Hornets Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for December 21 (Charlotte's Defense Struggles on the Road Again)

Clippers vs. Hornets Game Info

• Date: Wednesday, December 21, 2022
• Time: 10:30 PM ET
• Venue: Crypto.com Arena -- Los Angeles, California
• Coverage: NBA TV, BSSE, and BSSC

The 2022-23 NBA season continues on Wednesday with 11 more games, including a battle between the Charlotte Hornets and Los Angeles Clippers. The Hornets rank 14th in the Eastern Conference with an 8-23 record, while the Clippers check in fifth in the Western Conference with an 18-14 record.

Charlotte snapped an eight-game losing streak with a 125-119 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Monday. Meanwhile, Los Angeles enters as a victor in four of its last five games. That includes a 102-93 win over the Washington Wizards on Saturday. Which team emerges victorious on Wednesday?

Clippers vs. Hornets Odds & Spread

• All NBA betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: LAC: (-330) | CHA: (+265)
• Spread: LAC: -8.5 (-106) | CHA: +8.5 (-114)
• Total: 225.5 -- Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)

The Clippers enter this contest as clear home favorites on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 10 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 225.5 points, which is about average when compared to rest of Wednesday's projected totals.

Clippers vs. Hornets Betting Trends

• The Clippers have compiled a 16-16-0 record against the spread this season.
• So far this year, the Hornets have been installed as underdogs by a 7-point margin or more 12 times and are 7-4-1 ATS in those contests.
• Games involving the Clippers have hit the over 11 times out of 29 chances this season.
• Hornets games this season have gone over the total in 15 of 29 opportunities (51.7%).
• When playing at home, Los Angeles sports a worse record against the spread (8-9-0) compared to its ATS record in away games (8-7-0).
• In 2022-23 against the spread, Charlotte has a lower winning percentage at home (.286, 4-10-0 record) than away (.600, 9-5-1).

Clippers vs. Hornets Prediction & Pick

The Clippers have to love when they see the Hornets coming to town on the schedule. Los Angeles has defeated Charlotte in each of the last 12 head-to-head matchups played at Crypto.com Arena. I wouldn't expect anything different tonight despite the day-to-day status of All-Star Paul George.

Kawhi Leonard dropped 31 points in George's absence on Saturday and got help from Luke Kennard off the bench (20 points). The Clippers thrive off their defense instead of their offense, anyways. LA ranks fifth in defensive efficiency and is only allowing 104.6 points per home game (No. 2 in NBA).

Charlotte is also just 2-12 straight up in its last 14 away games, so I'll back LA with confidence.

Final Score Prediction: Clippers: 117 | Hornets: 106

Clippers vs. Hornets Best Bet

The Clippers are on a roll right now. They are a 5-1 against the spread (ATS) in their six games overall and three of their last four wins have come by at least 9 points. Los Angeles is 10-2 ATS in its last 12 games against a Southeast Division opponent as well. The Hornets have their work cut out for them.

Charlotte is only 2-4 ATS in its last six games and 1-4 ATS in its last five games against the Clippers. What's been killing the Hornets as of late is a lack of defense. They have allowed an average of 121.0 points (No. 26 in NBA) and have forced an average of just 12.0 turnovers over their last three games.

Bet: Los Angeles Clippers -8.5 (-106)

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.