We have a short NBA slate on Thursday and it includes a matchup between two struggling teams, although the host finds itself as a 10.5-point favorite. Check out our Charlotte Hornets-Miami Heat NBA picks.
The 3-9 Hornets went through offseason turmoil off the court and lately on the court, after losing star point guard LaMelo Ball to injury. They rank 28th in the NBA in offensive rating and have lost four straight road games since pounding the Atlanta Hawks on October 23. The Heat entered the season with playoff aspirations and despite an ina ctive offseason, possessed a championship ceiling.
However, a rough schedule combined with poor offensive play late in games has handed Miami a few heartbreaking losses. The Heat enter Thursday at 4-7 on the season. Yet, they find themselves as favorites by more than 10 points for the first time since March 28 last season when they took care of business against the Sacramento Kings.
Here are my NBA picks and predictions for Thursday's game between the Hornets and Heat (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook and PointsBet; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).