Portland Trail Blazers vs Charlotte Hornets: Prediction, Starting Lineups and Betting Tips | April 3, 2024

There are nine games in a jam-packed NBA schedule on Wednesday, including the Portland Trail Blazers vs Charlotte Hornets. It's the second and final game of the season between the two teams, with the Hornets looking to sweep the Blazers for the first time since the 2007-08 season.

Charlotte took the first game at the Moda Center on Feb. 25 with a 93-80 victory. Nick Richards led the Hornets with 21 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and three rebounds. Miles Bridges had 18 points and 10 boards, while Brandon Miller added 17 points.

Meanwhile, DeAndre Ayton had 26 points and 19 rebounds in a losing effort. Jerami Grant added 15 points and five dimes as the Blazers endured another disappointing loss amid a disappointing season.

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Portland Trail Blazers vs Charlotte Hornets preview, prediction, odds and betting tips

The Portland Trail Blazers vs Charlotte Hornets game is on Wednesday at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. It starts at 7 p.m. EDT and will be televised on ROOT SPORTS PLUS in Portland and Bally Sports SouthEast-Charlotte.

Moneyline: Blazers (+120) vs Hornets (-141)

Spread: Blazers +0.5 (-110) vs Hornets -0.5 (-112)

Total (O/U): Blazers o213.5 (+109) vs Hornets u213.5 (-128)

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Portland Trail Blazers vs Charlotte Hornets preview

The Portland Trail Blazers are on a 10-game losing streak and in the middle of a seven-game road trip. The Blazers are coming off a close defeat to the Orlando Magic, which might have given them some hope, as they almost beat a playoff team.

Meanwhile, the Charlotte Hornets have lost three in a row and have only two wins in their last 10 games. The Hornets put up a valiant effort against the league-leading Boston Celtics but still lost by 14 points.

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Portland Trail Blazers vs Charlotte Hornets starting lineups, subs and rotation

The Portland Trail Blazers have a whopping eight players on their injury report, most of whom are their best players. Coach Chauncey Billups has no other choice but to use the following starting five:

PG: Scoot Henderson | SG: Rayan Rupert | SF: Kris Murray | PF: Jabari Walker | C: DeAndre Ayton

Dalano Banton has been fabulous for the Blazers off the bench. Other players who could some minutes include Duop Reath, Austin Hagans and Moses Brown.

Meanwhile, the Charlotte Hornets also have eight players on the injury report. Four players are out; three are listed as questionable, while one is tagged as doubtful. Here's how coach Steve Clifford could line up if the three questionable players get cleared before tip-off:

PG: Tre Mann | SG: Brandon Miller | SF: Davis Bertans | PF: Miles Bridges | C: Nick Richards

Some players who could get minutes include Aleksej Pokusevski, Marques Bolden, JT Thor, Byrce McGowens and Nick Smith Jr.

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Portland Trail Blazers vs Charlotte Hornets betting tips

Brandon Miller has an over/under of 20.5 points, which is higher than his season average.

He's capable of scoring a ton, so go against the odds, and bet on him to go over. He has scored at least 21 points three times in his last five games. Just monitor his status before the start of the game.

DeAndre Ayton is favored to go under 22.5 points and has only scored 18 and 20 points in his first two games since returning from injury. Take the odds, and place your money on Ayton to score less than 22.5 points.

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Portland Trail Blazers vs Charlotte Hornets prediction

The Charlotte Hornets are the slight favorites to beat the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night. It's a battle between two of the worst teams in the NBA in what could be an even matchup.

Oddsmakers predict the Hornets to get the win and cover the spread and the total to go over 213.5 points.

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