Celtics vs. Hornets Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Sunday, March 29

LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets have been red hot since the turn of the new year, and they hold the No. 2 net rating in the NBA over their last 15 games heading into Sunday’s game against the Boston Celtics.

This is the front end of a back-to-back for the C’s, but they’ll have Jayson Tatum in action despite losing several players on the injury report ahead of this game. Boston was blown out by Charlotte earlier this season, and it’s set as an underdog on Sunday with Jaylen Brown out and Derrick White questionable.

The C’s still hold the No. 2 seed in the East, but the No. 1 seed is looking out of reach with Boston sitting 4.5 games back of Detroit with nine games to play.

Meanwhile, the Hornets are fighting for a top-eight seed in the East, as a recent loss dropped them back down to 10th in the latest standings.

Let’s take a look at the odds, my favorite prop bet and a prediction for Sunday’s matchup, which could be a potential first-round playoff series.

Celtics vs. Hornets Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Celtics +1.5 (-110)
Hornets -1.5 (-110)

Moneyline

Celtics: +100
Hornets: -120

Total

214.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Celtics vs. Hornets How to Watch

Date: Sunday, March 29
Time: 6:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Spectrum Center
How to Watch (TV): NBC Sports Boston, FanDuel Sports Network (Local)
Celtics record: 49-24
Hornets record: 39-35

Celtics vs. Hornets Injury Reports

Celtics Injury Report

Jaylen Brown – out
Jayson Tatum – available
Neemias Queta – probable
Derrick White – questionable
Nikola Vucevic – out

Hornets Injury Report

Tosan Evbuomwan – out
PJ Hall – out
Tidjane Salaun – out
Grant Williams – out
Antonio Reeves – out

Celtics vs. Hornets Best NBA Prop Bets

Hornets Best NBA Prop Bet

Kon Knueppel 4+ 3-Pointers Made (+116)

In today’s best NBA props column for SI Betting, I shared why Knueppel is a great plus-money target against Boston:

Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel is shooting 43.6 percent from beyond the arc this season, averaging 19.0 points per game.

Now, he takes on a Boston Celtics team that could be short-handed on the front end of a back-to-back. The C’s are just 23rd in the NBA in opponent 3s made per game and 16th in opponent 3-point percentage in the 2025-26 season, and they allowed Knueppel to shoot 4-for-8 from 3 against them back on March 4.

Knueppel has made four or more 3-pointers in seven games this month, so he’s a pretty solid value at +116 to hit this prop.

Celtics vs. Hornets Prediction and Pick

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why Charlotte is a great bet at home:

The Celtics have listed Jaylen Brown (out), Jayson Tatum (available), Neemias Queta (probable) and Derrick White (questionable) on the injury report on the front end of a back-to-back on Sunday.

Brown already missed Friday’s game with Achilles tendinitis, and the C’s may decide to punt one of these two games as they look to lock up a top-two seed in the East. Now, Joe Mazzulla’s squad won even though it was short-handed on Friday, but the Hornets may be a tougher matchup than Atlanta – even though the Hawks have been rolling lately against a soft schedule.

Charlotte is No. 2 in the league (behind only the San Antonio Spurs) in net rating over its last 15 games, and it blew out Boston 118-89 back on March 4. The Hornets need every game they can get if they want to avoid the No. 9 or No. 10 (their current spot) seed in the East.

This play is a little bit of a risky one – so I’d understand not tailing – but if Boston sits multiple players, this line is going to fly in Charlotte’s favor. The Hornets are 11-5 against the spread as home favorites this season – the third-best record in the NBA.

Pick: Hornets Moneyline (-120 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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