Steve Starr
- Go to BetOnline or Bovada for the latest odds on the Thunder vs Hornets matchup
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is in contention for the NBA Most Improved Player award after averaging over 31 points in his fifth season
- The game tips off from Paycom Center at 8:00pm ET on Tuesday, March 28th
Oklahoma City (37-38) is tied for ninth in the Western Conference heading into Tuesday night’s game with the lowly Hornets. The Thunder have won five-straight home games and are coming off a 118-112 victory over the Trail Blazers on Sunday. Charlotte (25-51) will look to play spoiler again after defeating the Mavericks twice in three days and dealing a devastating blow to Dallas’ playoff chances.
Before we break down the matchup and make our picks, check out our guide to betting on the 2023 NBA Finals and our tips for betting on the NBA.
Thunder vs Hornets
 | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
| Charlotte Hornets | +8.5 (-110) | TBD | TBD |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | -8.5 (-110) | TBD | TBD |
Thunder’s bright future
This was supposed to be another rebuilding year for the Thunder, who have 10 first-round picks over the next three seasons. However, the league’s youngest team (23.14 years of age) currently has a spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament with just seven games left in the year. In the running for the Most Improved Player award, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists in his fifth season.
Josh Giddey has also taken a leap, averaging 16.3 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game. The sophomore guard is on the verge of breaking Russell Westbrook’s franchise assist record. Oklahoma City finishes the campaign with four tough matchups against the Suns, Warriors, Jazz and Grizzlies. So, they need home wins over Charlotte and Detroit (two of the NBA’s three worst clubs) this week to keep their postseason hopes alive.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is LEADING THE NBA in scoring since the All-Star break with 35.6 PPG! pic.twitter.com/0RBkFRZMM2
— Basketball Forever (@bballforever_) March 21, 2023
Hornets play spoiler
Charlotte is coming off back-to-back victories over the Mavericks. Dallas dropped to 11th in the Western Conference behind OKC following their fourth-straight loss. Steve Clifford’s squad is a respectable 5-5 in their past 10 games. Not bad given they have the third-worst record in the entire NBA over the course of the year.
The Hornets defeated the Thunder 121-113 in their only previous meeting back in December. However, their leading scorer in that game, LaMelo Ball, has since been shut down for the season with an ankle injury.
Oklahoma City vs Charlotte
Oklahoma City is a 8.5-point home favorite on Tuesday night. They’re 22-15 at home after winning their past five games in Paycor Center. Mark Daigneault’s club has also been defying oddsmakers all year, covering at a league best 59.7% (43-29-3). The Thunder are 23-14 (62.2%) against the spread at home – the fourth-best mark league-wide.
Charlotte has a 19-18-2 (51.4%) ATS record away from home – which is kind of incredible considering their 12-27 road record is bottom-five in the NBA. Thunder home games hit the OVER almost two-thirds of the time (64.9%), the highest rate in the league. When OKC is favored at Paycor Center, the OVER is also 12-6.
Kyrie has a fan ejected from the Mavericks-Hornets game pic.twitter.com/tMGMCEg1hj
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) March 26, 2023
Best Bet
Battling for a playoff spot, Oklahoma City will be plenty motivated to run the Hornets out of the building. In addition to betting on the Thunder to cover the spread on Tuesday night, consider a longshot wager on Mark Daigneault to win Coach of the Year at +2500.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
