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Hornets vs. Hawks Prediction and Odds for NBA's Play-In Tournament (Hornets Keep It Close in High-Scoring Game)

By Joe Summers

LaMelo Ball and the Hornets get their first taste of postseason basketball as the Hornets take on the Hawks in the Play-In Tournament
LaMelo Ball and the Hornets get their first taste of postseason basketball as the Hornets take on the Hawks in the Play-In Tournament / Jonathan Daniel/GettyImages
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The NBA Playoffs are just about here! We've got Play-In Tournament action Wednesday, April 13th, at 7:00 PM EST as the No. 9 Atlanta Hawks host the No. 10 Charlotte Hornets.

As a reminder for how the Play-In Tournament works, the loser of this game is eliminated while the winner will take on the victor from the No. 7 vs No. 8 game for the 8 seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs.

Both teams ended the year on a high note, with the Hornets winning three straight behind an explosive offense and the Hawks going 7-2 over their last nine.

These squads split the regular season series 2-2, though Charlotte earned the most recent victory with a 116-106 win last month.

Can the upstart Hornets keep their season alive as underdogs or will Trae Young and Atlanta slam the door in hopes of another magical postseason run?

Here are the odds from WynnBET as we look for value in this Hornets vs Hawks Play-In Tournament matchup:

Hornets vs Hawks Odds, Spread and Total

Spread

  • Hornets +4.5 (-108)
  • Hawks -4.5 (-108)

Moneyline:

  • Hornets: +160
  • Hawks: -190

Total:

  • 237.0 (Over -108/Under -108)

Hawks vs Hornets Prediction and Pick

The Hornets have a real chance to upset Atlanta here. Charlotte ranks 8th in net rating over the last 15 games thanks to the second-ranked offense, while the Hawks are 7th in both categories.

Defensively, Charlotte still ranks in the bottom-10 and Atlanta has quietly posted the 11th-best defensive rating in that stretch. But they haven't played offenses as good as Buzz City's and the Hornets' frenetic ball movement will be a problem for them.

Over those last 15 games, Charlotte easily leads the NBA in assist percentage and assist-to-turnover ratio. They've scored at least 124 points in three straight games and are firing on all cylinders.

This is still Trae Young we're talking about, though, whose postseason performances are becoming the stuff of legend. The Hawks have covered the spread in six straight as favorites, though most of those games came against bad competition.

Charlotte is just 1-3 against the spread in their last four as an underdog as their defense has faltered, but I think they'll be locked in against Atlanta. I'll be on the Hornets to cover the spread, but I also love the over.

These are two high-octane offenses that don't turn the ball over, and two bad defenses that can be ran all over. The over is 5-1 in the Hawks' last six as a home favorite and has hit in three straight Hornets games as an underdog. It's a high-total, but I'd expect free throws to push us over in a close game at the end.

Pick: Hornets +4.5 (-108) and Over 237 (-108)

Follow all of Joe Summers' betting picks here.

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