Charlotte Hornets at Portland Trail Blazers Betting Preview

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— Friday, December 17th Charlotte Hornets @ Portland Trail Blazers

The Charlotte Hornets are coming off of a big win of the San Antonio Spurs. Today, they face off against the Portland Trail Blazers, who have lost seven games in a row.

Surprisingly enough, the spread isn't very large in this one, just 1.5-points. Perhaps even more shocking is that the Charlotte Hornets aren't the favored team here. So, why are the Portland Trail Blazers favored?

There are a couple of reasons for this which we'll go into detail on below. However, most of this circles around injuries to both lineups. Also, the Trail Blazers are at home and need to get a strike in the win column very soon.

Their last win was against the Detroit Pistons weeks ago, and it's been bad ever since. Unfortunately for them, the Charlotte Hornets aren't pushovers.

Charlotte Hornets: LaMelo Ball upgraded to "questionable"

If LaMelo Ball doesn't play in this one, it'll be a tough one for the Hornets to win. However, we do know that he's traveling with the team and has been upgraded to "questionable."

There is a chance that the Hornets staff decides to rest him to avoid further injury, though. You'll need to keep this in mind when betting on the Hornets vs. the Trail Blazers. Ish Smith will be out today.

Obviously, LaMelo Ball brings a different level of distribution ability to the Hornets offense. He nearly averages a double-double each game, scoring 20.0 ppg with 8.2 assists per game.

This kind of offensive ability would be sorely missed if he was out. We believe that this is the main reason the Hornets didn't come in as the favorite here. Technically, this works better for bettors.

Portland Trail Blazers: Portland desperately needs a win today

Fortunately for Portland, we're quite a few games away from the playoffs. However, this losing streak needs to come to an end very soon. Sure, injuries have been a problem, but most of the core group is there, aside from CJ McCollum.

They most recently lost by ten points to the Memphis Grizzlies, and now they face the Hornets. A team with the No.2 scoring offense.

Defense is going to be key here, and Portland is one of the worst. However, in the event that LaMelo Ball ends up not playing, the Trail Blazers' chances will skyrocket.

It's a realistic chance, but the Trail Blazers need to find a way to beat teams at their best. One of the ways that they can do this is by getting Damian Lillard better looks. Especially from beyond the arc.

Our pick for the Charlotte Hornets at Portland Trail Blazers

This is a tough one to call, especially with the injuries on both sides. However, Portland is better suited to win if their injury report doesn't change.

They have one of the best point guards in the NBA, and Anfernee Simons is producing as well. The even better news is they won't have to cover a lot of points.

Charlotte, on the other hand, would suffer a significant loss without LaMelo Ball. Considering Ish Smith is out, that would leave them without two point guards. Ball is the catalyst for the Hornets' entire offense; with him out, the Hornets won't be as efficient.

We'll take the Portland Trail Blazers to win the game and cover the 1.5-point spread.

DunkelIndex Free Pick: Portland Trail Blazers -1.5, UNDER

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