Hornets vs. Nuggets Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Sunday, Jan. 18

Jamal Murray and the Denver Nuggets have won four games in a row, knocking off the Washington Wizards on Saturday, and they’re just 5.5 games out of the No. 1 seed in the West even though Nikola Jokic has been out with a knee injury this month.

On Sunday, the Nuggets host the Charlotte Hornets, who are coming off a loss to the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.

This is the second night of a back-to-back for both teams, and oddsmakers have set this one as a toss up since several players on both sides could end up getting the night off for rest. Charlotte is a 1.5-point underdog as it looks to make a push for an Eastern Conference play-in tournament spot.

The Hornets are fourth in the league in net rating over their last 10 games, but they’ve won just four of them. Their net rating is boosted by a blowout win over Utah, but all season long the Hornets have fought as underdogs, going 21-14 against the spread.

Can they cover against the Nuggets on Sunday?

Let’s dive into the odds, my favorite player prop and a prediction for this interconference contest.

Hornets vs. Nuggets Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

Hornets +1.5 (-115)
Nuggets -1.5 (-105)

Moneyline

Hornets: -102
Nuggets: -118

Total

228.5 (Over -105/Under -115)

Hornets vs. Nuggets How to Watch

Date: Sunday, Jan. 18
Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Ball Arena
How to Watch (TV): Altitude, FanDuel Sports Network (Local)
Hornets record: 15-27
Nuggets record: 29-13

Hornets vs. Nuggets Injury Reports

Hornets Injury Report

Not submitted yet

Nuggets Injury Report

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Hornets vs. Nuggets Best NBA Prop Bets

Hornets Best NBA Prop Bet

Kon Knueppel OVER 17.5 Points (-106)

In today’s best NBA props for SI Betting, I broke down why I’m backing Knueppel on the second night of a back-to-back:

Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel continues to take the league by storm, scoring 24 points last night against the Golden State Warriors to push his season average to 19.2 points per game.

He’s shooting 48.8 percent from the field and 43.4 percent from beyond the arc, and he’s scored 18 or more points in 28 of his 41 games this season.

Now, Knueppel takes on the Denver Nuggets, who are also playing the second night of a back-to-back on Sunday. Denver ranks 22nd in the NBA in defensive rating, although it did hold Knueppel to 14 points on 13 shots earlier this season.

Still, any time the rookie is set below his season average in this prop, I think he’s worth a look. If the Hornets sit some players on the second night of a back-to-back, the Duke product could have an even bigger role than usual on Sunday night.

Hornets vs. Nuggets Prediction and Pick

Both of these teams have been really good on the second night of back-to-backs this season:

Denver is 5-2 against the spread on the second night of a back-to-back
Charlotte is 7-1 against the spread on the second night of a back-to-back

The Hornets may be looking to play LaMelo Ball in this game after he came off the bench on Saturday night, which would undoubtedly boost them in this matchup.

However, Denver is somehow thriving without Nikola Jokic, winning four games in a row after beating Washington Saturday. The Nuggets only won that game by six with Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon playing, but a win is a win.

Denver is 12-6 at home this season, and this price would be a major discount if Murray and Gordon end up playing. I lean with the Nuggets to win because of that, but bettors are going to want to monitor the injury report for both teams before locking in a pick.

Pick: Nuggets Moneyline (-118 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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