Charlotte Hornets vs Washington Wizards Prediction, Odds, Best Bets - Opening Week

Washington can score on anyone and stops no one, while Charlotte defends well enough to travel and cannot buy a basket some nights. Brandon Miller against the Trae Young and Anthony Davis two-man game is a genuinely even matchup hiding inside a rebuilding-team wrapper.

The Matchup

Charlotte is 3-2, and the Hornets win with defense. They allow 108.2 points per game, one of the stingier marks in the league through the first week, and they lost 97-89 at Detroit on Wednesday in the kind of low-scoring game they want to play. Their problem is at the other end.

Charlotte scores 101.0 points per game, the quietest offense on tonight's slate, and too many possessions lean on Brandon Miller to create something from nothing. Miller has been up to it so far. He leads Charlotte at 25.6 points per game, Moussa Diabate leads the team at 9.4 rebounds per game, and the Hornets defend the three-point line well enough to keep games in the mud.

Washington is 2-3 and built the opposite way. The Wizards score 113.6 points per game and allow 115.8, and they lost 121-111 to Cleveland at home on Wednesday. Trae Young leads Washington at 10.4 assists per game and Anthony Davis leads the team at 21.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, a pick-and-roll pairing that stresses a defense at both ends of the play.

With both teams only a week into the season, these numbers pair this season's games with last season's final marks, and last season flatters Charlotte. The Hornets outscored opponents by 4.8 points per game, while Washington was outscored by 12.0, the worst mark in the league.

DraftKings cannot split them at Capital One Arena. Washington is a 1.5-point home favorite, the Wizards are -115 on the moneyline and Charlotte is -105, and the total is 220.5.

Key Factors

Charlotte's backcourt defense gets tested by Young, and the Hornets are short-handed for it. Coby White is out with a strain, with a return expected around November 2, and Kon Knueppel and Grant Williams are also out. Dennis Schroder is day-to-day and listed with a return date of today, so keep an eye on whether Schroder plays before placing a bet.

If he sits, Miller becomes the only real creator Charlotte has, and Young and Davis can load up on him. Washington has its own absences. Justin Champagnie is out, Tristan Vukcevic is out with a pinched nerve, and Tre Johnson is day-to-day with soreness, also listed with a return date of today.

The glass is where Washington can steal this. Davis against Diabate is a talent mismatch, and Charlotte's half-court offense is too weak to survive giving up second chances. The Hornets have to finish possessions to win this game. When they do, their defense travels well enough to hold Washington under its usual scoring, and a slow game favors the team getting points.

Both teams played Wednesday and had Thursday off, so rest is even. What is not even is the defensive floor. Washington has allowed 111 or more in every game this season, and a home favorite that cannot get stops has to be nearly perfect on offense to cover even a small number. Charlotte does not need to be perfect. It needs Miller's usual night and its normal defense, and that is the more repeatable recipe.

Every pick is published with its line before the game. Odds via consensus sportsbooks at time of writing and move constantly. Must be 21+. If gambling is a problem, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.