NBA
Charlotte Hornets vs Los Angeles Lakers Preview: Odds, Tips and Prediction
Date: Tuesday 21st January 2025 Start time: 7:30 pm local time (3:30 am BST) Venue: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California Last meeting: April 3, 2024, Los Angeles Lakers 125-120 Washington Wizards The Los Angeles Lakers venture to North Carolina to take on the Charlotte Hornets.
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The Los Angeles Lakers venture to North Carolina to take on the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets have won three games in a row but are placed the third-bottom seed in the East, whereas the Lakers are sixth in the West and have games in hand over the teams surrounding them. The Lakers and the Hornets meet for the first time this 2024/25 season, who will prevail?
This preview investigates both teams for this matchup, who desperately need a win to better their overall record. This article shares both roster’s form and their recent and past head-to-head form. We look at both teams’ best players, and we discuss our valued bets before revealing our final prediction.
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Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability
Charlotte Hornets: 7/2 (4.50) - 22.2%
Los Angeles Lakers: 1/5 (1.20) - 83.3%
Forecast Odds – Betting available on Stake closer to event
Head-to-Head Record
Both teams have played in 67 regular season games throughout history, with the Los Angeles Lakers having the upper hand thanks to the franchise completing 42 victories. The Charlotte Hornets have won 25 times.
In recent times, the Lakers have been the more dominant team too. The Southern Californian team are on a current three-win streak but also has produced eight wins from their previous ten meetings, highlighting their true competitive edge in this fixture.
Last Five Matches
| Season | Date | Result |
| 2023/24 Season | February 5, 2024 | Los Angeles Lakers 124-118 Charlotte Hornets |
| 2023/24 Season | December 28, 2024 | Los Angeles Lakers 133-112 Charlotte Hornets |
| 2022/23 Season | January 2, 2022 | Los Angeles Lakers 121-115 Charlotte Hornets |
| 2022/23 Season | December 23, 2022 | Charlotte Hornets 134-130 Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2021/22 Season | January 28, 2022 | Charlotte Hornets 117-114 Los Angeles Lakers |
How is the season so far for both teams?
Charlotte Hornets
- Record: 11-28
- Home Form: 7-13
- Road Form: 4-15
The Charlotte Hornets sit as the 13th seed in the Eastern Conference and are currently on a three-win streak. They have raised the bar since the turn of the year but are still struggling overall, therefore a serious play-off spot looks out of the question. All is not lost as the team could rise further up the league for a play-in spot, but the situation looks precarious.
Their main star is LaMelo Ball, the 23-year-old point guard who is posting impressive figures this season. Despite playing in only 28 games due to minor injuries, he is producing an astounding 29.3 points per game, statistics that place him fourth overall in the NBA. After suffering further injuries in the last two seasons, he has come back with vengeance and has obliterated his personal best record.
Injuries are the main reason for the Hornets struggling as key players on their roster lack chemistry and the core starting five each miss out on various games at a time. Their second lead shooter is Brandon Miller, but it was announced by the organization that he suffered a torn scapholunate ligament in his right wrist, meaning he will be out for the foreseeable. He is averaging 21 points, impressive figures for someone in only their second year.
Los Angeles Lakers
- Record: 22-18
- Home Form: 14-6
- Road Form: 8-12
The Los Angeles Lakers hold firm as the sixth seed in the Western Conference but have the potential to go higher with their games in hand against the teams surrounding them. The Lakers appear to be hitting their stride this season thanks to signing JJ Redick to become the roster’s new head coach.
Undoubtedly, you can’t mention the Los Angeles Lakers without mentioning LeBron James. He turned 40 not too long ago but is showing his greatness and king status by posting 23.8 points per game. Considering his age, these stats are impressive, though it is evident he is past his prime on shooting. He hasn’t regressed in assists and rebounds, posting 8.9 and 7.4 per game, highlighting his importance in other areas.
Lakers star Austin Reaves is the roster’s third-leading scorer with 18.4 points per game, but he shows important versatility as well as providing 6 assists and producing 4.2 rebounds in each match. Reaves is producing his best numbers in each area as he participates in his fourth season in the NBA. The shooting guard wasn’t drafted to the team in 2021, therefore playing these numbers shows the true depth of quality college basketball players have.
Value Bets
LaMelo Ball: Over 20 Points and Over 5 Rebounds and Over 5 Assists
Firstly, we decided to produce a value bet for LaMelo Ball. Ball has played in five meetings against the Los Angeles Lakers in his relatively short career thus far, but his numbers are immense. Across the five games, he is posting 23.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 6.8 assists, showing he relishes the occasion against the organization. We predict him to maintain these stats.
LeBron James: Over 25 Points and Over 5 Assists
While discussing the younger players, our second value bet goes to the seasoned veteran LeBron James. Remarkably, James boasts a 49-7 record when he has played against the Charlotte Hornets, showing his quite incredible talent. In his last five games, he has conveyed that his age has no boundaries as he is posting 31.4 points, 7.6 assists and 5.8 rebounds. His recent form shows that he will be one to keep a close eye on for this encounter.
Prediction: Los Angeles Lakers to win
SportsBoom concludes the Los Angeles Lakers to win this game. The Charlotte Hornets are struggling to post their best team because of consistent injury woes amongst their best stars, and the Lakers look to have that competitive edge that had been lacking in the previous couple of years. The Lakers should expand their winning streak to four wins in a row thanks to the brilliance of LeBron James, Austin Reaves and Anthony Davis.
Henry Cheal is a versatile freelance sports journalist with extensive experience in the industry. Henry has previously worked at the 2024 World Snooker Championship and earned a Multimedia Sports Journalism degree from UCFB in 2023.
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