Charlotte Hornets vs Indiana Pacers: Predictions, Odds and Head-to-head

Where: Banker’s Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

When: Sunday, January 20th, 6:00 PM EST

How (TV/Radio): Fox Sports Southeast – Charlotte, Fox Sports Indiana | 1070 The Fan/107.5 FM

Charlotte Hornets (Away)

Head Coach: James Borrego {All-Time 30-43 | ORL, CHA}

The Charlotte Hornets have been fighting with inconsistency all season. With a record of 20-23, the Hornets are just holding on to eighth in the West. The Pistons, Magic, and Wizards are all, at most, three games behind the Hornets, so any significant losing streak could knock them right out of the playoff race.

The Hornets underwent an incredibly disappointing Western Conference road trip. In six games against the opposing conference, the Hornets accumulated a record of 2-4. Posting wins against the Suns and Spurs but dropping games to the Nuggets, Clippers, Trail Blazers, and Kings.

Against the Indiana Pacers, the Hornets will be taking on one of the East’s elite. While the Pacers’ defence is one of the strongest in the league, it has been slipping as of late. The Hornets won in their last match against the Pacers but will face a more focused team this time out. Should they be able to spread their offensive output, they should be able to take down the Pacers again.

Indiana Pacers (Home)

Head Coach: Nate McMillan {All-Time 597-540 | SEA, POR, IND}

The Indiana Pacers are currently ranked third in the Eastern Conference, with a record of 29-14. They’ve been red hot as of late, losing to only the Toronto Raptors and the Boston Celtics in their last ten matches.

They take on the Charlotte Hornets in hopes of gaining a greater lead over the Philadelphia 76ers as well as catching up to the Toronto Raptors in third place. Now that they sport a healthy roster, the Pacers hope to keep up their performances going into the All-Star break.

The Charlotte Hornets have struggled as of late, but the Pacers can’t afford to take them lightly. In their last match the Hornets were dominant from the field and from range, a trend that the Pacers surely can’t allow to continue into this match. The Pacers will need to protect the arc or the inside, but can’t afford to be as non-committal as they were last time out.

What’s At Stake?

The Indiana Pacers and the Charlotte Hornets come together in this Eastern Conference matchup. In 108 regular season games, the Indiana Pacers lead the Charlotte Hornets 64-44.

A win for the Indiana Pacers would give them an extra game over the fourth place Philadelphia 76ers, but keep them ranked third in the Eastern Conference.

A win for the Charlotte Hornets would keep them at eighth in the East, but help hold off the Pistons and Magic who are on their tail.

Questions to answer

Can the Hornets stop the Pacers perimeter attack?

Will the Pacers stop the Hornets attack?

We are going to compare the Charlotte Hornets and the Indiana Pacers in an attempt to see who has the advantage in this matchup.

The Hornets are in the Bottom Third in 3PT Attempts Allowed

The Hornets play a very particular, defence in today’s NBA. Opting to allow teams to try and beat them from three, rather than allow paint points. With a centre the likes of Bismack Biyombo, it’s a surprise they don’t play a more modern switch-oriented offence to allow a talented shot blocker like him roam free.

Regardless of style, the Hornets need to make it a point to limit the Pacers capable shooters. Collison, Oladipo, and Bogdanovic are all capable of getting hot and hitting from three in bunches.

Between Jeremy Lamb, Nicolas Batum, and Marvin Williams the Hornets are capable of defending on the wing. Their movement and switch ability is an asset to the Hornets, even though it’s not regularly utilized. If they Hornets can run the Pacers off of the three-point line and subsequently stop them at the rim, they should be able to beat the third place Eastern Conference club.

The Hornets shot 56% in their last match against the Pacers

The Pacers did not defend effectively in their last match against the Hornets. The Hornets were 53% from inside the arc and 62% from range. The Pacers were non-committal overall on defence. Considering their offence couldn’t keep up with the Hornets, the Pacers were left in the dust.

Both teams are reasonably healthy this time out. The Pacers have slipped defensively due to the absence of Myles Turner but since his return they have perked up on that side of the ball. It can’t be all on one player though, the Pacers can run the Hornets off the line and into Turner but if their rotations aren’t right they’ll be at the mercy of the kick-out.

The Pacers showed that in their blowout loss to the Philadelphia 76ers they lack the offensive options to compete when they are being exposed defensively. The Sixers collapsed on Oladipo and force the Pacers’ supporting cast to make plays and they failed – save for Thaddeus Young. They will need to both step up on defence and offence if they want to take one from a hungry Hornets team.

Charlotte Hornets Roster Notes

C Cody Zeller – Out (Hand) – Zeller underwent surgery on his right hand and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks, according to Quinton Wash of NBA.com.

Indiana Pacers Roster Notes

The Pacers have no roster changes to note.

Head-to-Head: Tony Parker vs Cory Joseph

Tony Parker

Point Guard | 6-2, 185lb (188cm, 83kg) | France | Exp. 18 Years

9.4 PPG | 3.8 APG | 1.5 RPG | 0.4 SPG | 0.1 BPG | 1.3 TOV | .445 FG% | .242 3P%

Cory Joseph

Point Guard | 6-3, 193lb (190cm, 87kg) | Texas | Exp. 8 Years

7.2 PPG | 3.8 APG | 3.6 RPG | 1.2 SPG | 0.2 BPG | 1.2 TOV | .451 FG% | .385 3P%

In our head-to-head matchup we look at the Hornets and Pacers’ most valuable bench contributors and NBA Champions Tony Parker and Cory Joseph. Two point guards with the responsibility of leading the team when the starters are on the bench, each brings a unique skillset to the court.

An absolute veteran and future hall of fame resident, Tony Parker is playing what may be his last season as a reserve for All-Star Kemba Walker. He provides a different look to the offence than Kemba Walker. Where Walker excels in isolation, Parker is a team first playmaker who provides excellent opportunities for his less skilled teammates.

The young Canadian Cory Joseph is likely one of the best backup point guards in the league. While he shines on the defensive end, his stability on offence shooting, driving, and swinging the ball is paramount to the Pacers’ success. He doesn’t have to have the ball to be successful and thus is always contributing positively on the court.

Charlotte Hornets at Indiana Pacers Predictions and Odds

The odds makers have the Indiana Pacers favoured over the Charlotte Hornets by 7.5, with an over/under of 110.