Los Angeles Lakers vs Charlotte Hornets Prediction: The Californians will be desperate to bounce back after two losses

Prediction for the Los Angeles Lakers vs Charlotte Hornets match will occur on January 10. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers return to action against Charlotte after a back-to-back trip to Texas. J.J. Redick's side lost both games there. First, the Lakers rallied from a double-digit deficit against Houston but could not complete the comeback - 115:111 - and then failed to cope with Dallas, who were decimated by injuries to their top players. The Lakers played poor perimeter defense, missed 18 three-pointers, and were outrebounded 97:118.

Despite the disappointing result, LeBron James and Co. remain in playoff contention, sitting sixth in the Western Conference with a 20-16 record. It should be noted, however, that the Lakers are still a long way off the top in terms of the key metrics - they are 20th in defensive rating (114.0) and 16th in offensive rating (111.8).

Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets' last game against Phoenix saw them end a run of ten straight defeats. Charles Lee's team overcame their opponents' problems and became stronger - 115:104. Charlotte completely outplayed the Suns on the boards, outrebounding them 59-42, and the game's main hero was Lamelo Ball - 32 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists.

The win was Charlotte's eighth of the season. The Hornets' record is 27 defeats. North Carolina is 13th in the Eastern Conference, ahead of Toronto and Washington.

Expert Betting Tips

All six meetings between the Lakers and Charlotte over the past three regular seasons have been tops. Both teams have been less than stellar defensively this season so the total could be broken this time. Let's go for the points, both for the Lakers as a whole and for individual players. The Californians will be desperate to bounce back after two losses in Texas on their home court.