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

Trae Young runs Washington's offense on nearly every trip, and Charlotte just spent Saturday night proving it can win a shootout with two of its guards out. Brandon Miller scored 34 against Miami in this building, and Naz Reid added 23 points and 9 rebounds. Two 2-1 teams with thin backcourts meet in Charlotte, and the guards who are left standing decide it.

The Matchup

Washington is 2-1 behind an offense that scores 118.0 points per game and gives back 116.0. Young is the reason it works. He averages 22.3 points and 11.3 assists, and he had 25 points and 9 assists in Saturday's 124-120 win at Chicago, a game Washington won with its starting center on the floor for only 16 minutes. Deandre Ayton played those 16 minutes and scored 6 points, and the Wizards still put up 124. That is how much of this offense runs through the backcourt.

Charlotte is also 2-1, and its week swung hard. The Hornets scored 81 points in a home loss to Atlanta on Friday, with Miller held to 6 points on 2-of-14 shooting. One night later in the same building they beat Miami 115-110.

Miller scored 34 points with 8 rebounds, Dennis Schroder scored 25, and Reid scored 23 with 9 rebounds. Reid leads Charlotte at 20.0 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, and the Hornets have been the steadier defensive team in this matchup, allowing 113.7 points per game against Washington's 116.0.

The availability news cuts into both backcourts. Knueppel is out tonight. He strained his left hamstring and has been ruled out for Monday's game. White is out tonight with a strained left calf.

Grant Williams is also out for Charlotte with a right hamstring injury. Washington is without Dybantsa, who is out tonight with a sprained left ankle, and Vukcevic, who is out with a pinched nerve in his left hip and will be re-evaluated in four weeks. With three games played, this season's numbers still sit alongside last season's, when Charlotte went 44-38 and Washington finished 17-65. DraftKings makes Charlotte a 2.5-point favorite at home, with a total of 228.5.

Key Factors

The game runs through Reid against Washington's front line. Ayton's minutes fell to 16 on Saturday, and Alex Sarr is a young center being asked to defend a stretch big who just shot 9-of-16 against Miami. Reid pulls a center away from the rim, and that opens the driving lanes Miller used for 34 points on Saturday. If Washington helps off Reid to load up on Miller, Charlotte's offense gets the exact shot it wants.

Charlotte's problem is Young, and the injuries make it worse. With White and Knueppel out, Schroder carries the Young assignment for most of the night, and Schroder just played 38 minutes on Saturday. Young wears guards down in the pick-and-roll, and Washington scored 124 on Saturday even on a quiet night from Ayton. A tired Charlotte backcourt chasing Young for 48 minutes is how Washington steals this game on the road.

The scoring environment argues for a calmer game than the total expects. The teams have combined to average 220.0 points scored per game this season, and the posted total is 228.5. Charlotte's two home games so far produced 209 and 225 total points. The home team does not need a track meet to win this. It needs Reid and Miller to win their matchups and one ordinary defensive night against a team that allows 116.0 points per game.

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.