NBA Underdog of the Day (Hornets Can Shock Sixers In Philly)

The Charlotte Hornets and the Philadelphia 76ers square off tonight and this is a big one. The Hornets are in a three-way tie at the bottom of the play-in tournament and the Sixers can still move up to the third seed in the East. 

The Hornets don’t have the star power the Sixers do, but they can still win as +190 underdogs tonight. 

Let me explain. 

Why Hornets Can Upset The Sixers

The Charlotte Hornets are going to have a tough time guarding Joel Embiid, and this may just turn into a free throw contest between Embiid and the Hornets. However, Charlotte has already beaten the Sixers once this season and here’s how they do it again. 

The Hornets will have to speed up the 76ers by a wide margin in order to win this game. They’ve played at a slower pace since the All-Star break, but the Hornets are still top 5 in the league in pace. Meanwhile, Philadelphia is the third slowest team in the league. With Embiid’s game dictating a slower contest, Charlotte will have to push the ball off of made baskets and free throws to try and rattle Philly.

Charlotte is also the eighth-best three-point shooting team in the league. The Hornets would have to win the battle beyond the line – and by a comfortable margin. Philadelphia has been 14th in the league in three-point percentage since the All-Star break. Charlotte would have to force a significant drop off tonight. 

The way for Charlotte to win tonight is the same way they’ve won games all year. Turn the game into a track meet and live with the results.

You can find Donnavan Smoot’s full betting record here.