The Charlotte Hornets will travel to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to face the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Paycom Center with tip-off scheduled for 8:00 PM ET on Friday night and will air on Bally Sports Charlotte.

The Charlotte Hornets have the 3^rd worst record in the Eastern Conference at 10-36 and are on a five-game losing streak following Wednesday’s 110-117 loss at home against the Chicago Bulls. The Hornets have been a below-average team offensively and defensively as they enter this game averaging the 3^rd fewest points per game with an average of 108.59 points per game while allowing the 6^th most points per game with an average of 120.26 points allowed per game. LaMelo Ball has missed the previous three games and is questionable with an ankle injury and the Hornets will be without Gordon Hayward and Kyle Lowry for the game against the Thunder. Ball, when healthy, has been one of the best players on the team as he is averaging 23.9 points, 8 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game. The Charlotte Hornets will look to end their five-game losing streak when they travel to face the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been one of the best teams in the Western Conference this season as they enter this game in 2^nd place in the conference with a record of 33-15 following a 105-100 win at home against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday which also ended their two-game losing streak. The success of the Thunder this year can be attributed to their offensive play as they enter this matchup averaging the 4^th most points per game in the league with an average of 120.44 points per game. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has not only led the team in scoring this season but is 3^rd in the NBA with an average of 31.3 points per game and trails only Joel Embiid and Luka Doncic. Defensively, Oklahoma City has also been above average as they are allowing an average of 112.65 points per game which is below the league average of 115.55 points per game. The Oklahoma City Thunder will look to build off the momentum following the win at home against the Nuggets when they host the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night.

BookMaker has the Oklahoma City Thunder listed as 16-point favorites at home against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night. The teams are 5-5 in the last ten while Charlotte has won the previous five meetings. The Hornets have covered the spread in six of the last ten including five straight games in the series. The Charlotte Hornets are 16-30 ATS overall, 8-15 ATS on the road, and 16-26 ATS as an underdog this season while the Oklahoma City Thunder are 30-17-1 ATS overall, 16-8 ATS at home, and 20-12 ATS as a favorite on the year.

Oklahoma City has been one of the best teams in the NBA this season as they are in 2^nd place in the Western Conference while Charlotte has the 3^rd worst record in the Eastern Conference, however, Charlotte has been the better team most recently in the series as they have won the last five matchups against Oklahoma City while also having covered the spread in the last five games in the series which is why I am taking the points with the Charlotte Hornets when they travel to face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night.