Hornets vs. Clippers Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for December 5 (LA Overcomes Injuries to Taste Victory)

Hornets vs. Clippers Game Info

• Date: Monday, December 5, 2022
• Time: 7:00 PM ET
• Venue: Spectrum Center -- Charlotte, North Carolina
• Coverage: BSSE and BSSC

Eight 2022-23 NBA season games are slated for Monday, Dec. 5, including a Spectrum Center showdown between the Charlotte Hornets and LA Clippers. The basement-dwelling Hornets hope to reverse their fortunes tonight after picking up a 105-96 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks back on Saturday.

The Clippers are also desperate to taste victory, though. LA lost for the second straight game in the form of a 123-96 loss to the Sacramento Kings over the weekend, futher highlighting how much Paul George and Kawhi Leonard's absence has hurt the team.

Can the Hornets be victorious in front of their hometown crowd? Or will the banged-up Clippers find a way to get the job done on the road?

Hornets vs. Clippers Odds & Spread

• All NBA betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: LAC: (-178) | CHA: (+158)
• Spread: LAC: -4 (-112) | CHA: +4 (-108)
• Total: 216.5 -- Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)

The Clippers enter this contest as clear road favorites on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 7 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 216.5 points, which is the lowest of Monday's projected totals.

Hornets vs. Clippers Betting Trends

• The Clippers covered 38 times in 82 matchups with a spread last season.
• The Hornets went 20-14-2 as underdogs of 2.5 points or greater last year.
• A total of 40 Clippers games last season hit the over.
• In 82 Hornets games last year, 41 of them went over the total.

Hornets vs. Clippers Prediction & Pick

Though the Clippers have been playing shorthanded lately, they could be getting a boost. Both George and Leonard accompanied the team on their four-game road trip and are questionable for tonight's festivities.

If even one or both of them play, the Hornets will be in trouble considering how they'll be without LaMelo Ball (ankle). Charlotte's offense has taken a major hit without him, averaging 108.4 points with 39.1% field-goal and 31.1% three-point percentages over the last seven games. For comparison, the team was shooting 44.8% from the field and 32.1% from three-point range before his injury.

Even with their injury woes, the Clippers still own a top-10 defense that should be more than capable of shutting down the Hornets' lethargic offense. Getting one of its superstar players back in the lineup would only further shift the game in LA's favor.

Back the Clippers walking out of North Carolina with the W.

Final Score Prediction: Clippers: 114 | Hornets: 105

Hornets vs. Clippers Best Bet

The Clippers won't have any issues covering the 4-point spread tonight. Not only are they 7-1 against the spread (ATS) in their last seven games against the Hornets, but they've also covered in six of their last seven trips to Charlotte. Furthermore, the Hornets own an uninspiring minus-4.2 scoring margin at home (No. 27), whereas LA sits at a modest minus-0.8 on the road (No. 9).

Look for the Clippers' defense to help them win this one by at least a few possessions.

Bet: Clippers -4 (-112)

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.