Hornets vs. Lakers Prediction and Odds: Can Luka Carry LA if LeBron Sits Out

The Charlotte Hornets (13-19) will pay a visit to the Los Angeles Lakers (32-20) in the league’s standalone return-to-action matchup on Wednesday.

The Hornets are only 4-19 on the road and lost nine of their last 10 games. They lost to the Lakers 112-107 at home on Jan. 27, courtesy of 42 points and 23 rebounds from Anthony Davis, who is now a member of the Dallas Mavericks.

The Lakers won 12 of their final 15 games heading into the All-Star break but could be without LeBron James, who is reportedly considering sitting out the next two games due to a foot problem.

Here, we will break down the odds and share our favorite Hornets vs. Lakers betting picks and the official return of the NBA.

Hornets vs. Lakers Betting Odds for Wednesday, February 19

The Hornets are 27-23-2 (54 percent) against the spread, 11-11-1 (50 percent) ATS on the road, and 27-12-2 (61.4 percent) ATS as an underdog.

The Lakers are 28-23-1 (54.9 percent) ATS, 16-9 (64 percent) ATS at home, and 15-14-1 (51.7 percent) ATS as a favorite.

Hornets vs. Lakers Prediction

Charlotte Hornets Preview

The Hornets are probably the best bad team in the league—at least from a betting perspective, given their success against the spread.

Down Brandon Miller and with unknown statuses of LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams, the Hornets face an uphill battle they are all too familiar with. 

As financially productive as Charlotte has been, particularly as an underdog, it was outscored by 7.6 points per 100 possessions on the road, good for third-worst in the league. 

Their overall net rating of -5.5 is only 25th, although that number is only -3.6 (20th) in 2025. They went 6-14 straight-up during that time.

The Hornets’ recent competitiveness was inspired by their defense, which ranked eighth in points allowed per 100 possessions in the New Year—right between the Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers. Coincidentally, a similar defensive metamorphosis occurred around this same time last year and led the Hornets to transform from one of the league’s worst to one of its best defensive units. 

The problem is Charlotte’s horrible offense. Without the scoring and spacing of Miller, the individual creativity of Ball, and the around-the-rim finishing of Williams, if the last two are out, the Hornets have next to no credible scoring threats, with Miles Bridges being the only facsimile of one. 

The Hornets are competitive on the boards but turned the ball over far too much. They’re also 23rd and were outscored by 12.2 points per 100 possessions excluding garbage time against top-10 opponents, a level at which the Lakers were playing heading into the break.

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Los Angeles Lakers Preview

The big news coming out of LA is that LeBron could be rested for the next two games. However, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on NBA Today on Tuesday night that there is still optimism he could play at least one of the games.

The Lakers’ first pair of games with Luka Doncic in the lineup were total opposites. They obliterated the Utah Jazz in Doncic’s LA debut and were up by more than 30 points in the third quarter before they were held at a consistent 20-point deficit against the same Jazz team two days later.

If the glass is half full, then it’s noticeable how many easy three-point looks Doncic created for his teammates, even despite he, LeBron and Austin Reaves clearly not understanding where each other is meant to be.

If it is half empty, then it’s fair to point out that it took the Jazz one game to figure out how to exploit the purple and gold’s total lack of size. Jaxson Hayes is barely a rotation-level player and was the only recognized center getting minutes for the Lakers, and the recent signing of Alex Len could not have gone over worse in its one-game test run.

The solution to LA’s problems will likely be to play Dorian Finney-Smith 30 minutes per night at the center position and fully embrace the 2018 Houston Rockets style of basketball. 

Whether LeBron does or doesn’t play, this game is about Doncic. He missed close to two months of basketball with a calf injury and was understandably rusty in his first two games with a new team, averaging 15 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists on 26.7 percent three-point shooting.

Doncic’s aggressiveness and decisiveness need to be at the same level they were in Dallas, where he was viewed as one of the top three basketball players in the world. If they are, the Lakers will be able to survive and potentially thrive even in the absence of the “King.”

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Hornets vs. Lakers Betting Pick

• Hornets vs. Lakers pick: Under 226.5 points (-110) at BetMGM

The Lakers were playing arguably the best basketball in the league heading into the All-Star break, and a win here would put them in fourth place ahead of the Houston Rockets. They did not cover the last time they played the Hornets and are enormous favorites, potentially without their most trusted player.

Charlotte showed signs of competence defensively but couldn’t put the ball in the hoop. That will be made even harder without some of its top players and if the Lakers embrace a small and switchable lineup. 

We could go a variety of ways with this one, but we like the under due to Doncic’s rust and lack of chemistry, a general pause in play and disruption of rhythm, and the Hornets’ defensive improvements.

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How to Watch Hornets vs. Lakers on 2/10/25

• When: Wednesday, February 19 @ 7:00/10:00 p.m. PT/ET

• Where: crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA

• TV: NBA League Pass

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