Charlotte Hornets vs Los Angeles Lakers: Guests are unlikely to win

As hard as it has been to watch the Lakers this season, as long as LeBron is in this condition the team is capable of clinging to wins. But he's not here tonight.

Charlotte's offensive opportunities seem to be unlimited

The Hornets had another extravaganza, having scored 158 points against Indiana and that's without going into overtime. And Kelly Oubre produced one of his best numbers of the season with 39 points.

The Hornets are firmly in the play-in zone with a good chance of making the playoffs outright as well. Seventh in the NL East with 27 wins and 22 losses, Borrego's squad is doing quite well at home, having had 13 wins and 7 losses, and they've also been piling on steam on the offensive end, so tonight won't be easy for the visitors.

If only they could clinch a play-in spot

Who would have thought about it when talking about the Lakers? The team continues to suffer and fall lower and lower.

In the last six games, LeBron, and everyone else, have alternated wins and losses. Philadelphia with Embiid has been out of their league. Yes, James didn't play and Davis had a terrific 31-point game after his return, but the result was still a loss. The Lakers are now 9th in the West. That means the team has to put everything they have and everything they don't, otherwise, they might not even finish in the top 10.

Injuries and suspensions

• Charlotte: Kelly Oubre, Jalen McDaniels, Gordon Hayward;
• Lakers: LeBron James, Kendrick Nunn.

Expert Betting Tips

The Lakers come in without the injured LeBron, which means the clear favorites are the home team. For all intents and purposes, the opportunity for Davis and Westbrook to bring in a win is very slim. And given the suffering defense of the visitors, the home team could very well make another game with good numbers tonight

Betting options

• H1 (-6.5) for 1.86;
• W1+ITO1 (117.5) for 2.32;
• H1 (-6.5) for 1.80.