Hornets vs. Nuggets Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Thursday, Feb. 20

The Denver Nuggets have made a push for a top-two seed in the Western Conference, and they’ll look to continue that run on Thursday night against the Charlotte Hornets.

This is Denver’s first game out of the All-Star break, but the Hornets are playing the second night of a back-to-back after facing the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.

Charlotte is lottery-bound this season, but Denver has found a groove in recent weeks, jumping up to sixth in the NBA in net rating. Nikola Jokic is playing at an MVP level, but guard Jamal Murray has been a major key in this recent stretch, shaking off a slow start.

Since Jan. 1, Murray is averaging 22.3 points while shooting 50.3 percent from the field and 38.6 percent from 3. He’s also putting up 3.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.4 steals a game over that 23-game stretch.

Can he and the Nuggets keep rolling as massive favorites on Thursday night?

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, best player props and my prediction for Thursday’s contest.

Hornets vs. Nuggets Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

Hornets +14.5 (-108)
Nuggets -14.5 (-112)

Moneyline

Hornets: +650
Nuggets: -1000

Total

227 (Over -110/Under -110)

Hornets vs. Nuggets How to Watch

Date: Thursday, Feb. 20
Time: 9:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Ball Arena
How to Watch (TV): Altitude, Bally Sports Southeast
Hornets record: 14-39
Nuggets record: 36-19

Hornets vs. Nuggets Injury Reports

Hornets Injury Report

Not submitted yet

Nuggets Injury Report

Vlatko Canar – out
DaRon Holmes II – out
Jamal Murray – probable
Aaron Gordon – probable
Michael Porter Jr. – probable
Peyton Watson – out

Hornets vs. Nuggets Best NBA Prop Bets

Denver Nuggets Best NBA Prop Bet

Nikola Jokic OVER 22.5 Rebounds and Assists (-130)

These teams matched up on Feb. 1, and Nikola Jokic turned in a massive 28-point, 17-assist, 13-rebound performance.

While I’m not expecting a triple-double of that magnitude again, I do think Jokic can hit 23 rebounds and assists against this tanking Charlotte team. The Hornets rank in the bottom half of the NBA in opponent rebounds per game and are just 13th in opponent assists per game.

Plus, Jokic has cleared 22.5 rebounds and assists in three games this month, averaging 12.6 rebounds and 10.2 assists per game for the entire season.

Hornets vs. Nuggets Prediction and Pick

These teams combined for just 211 points in their first meeting, and the Hornets (28th in offensive rating) have struggled to score the ball at a high rate all season long.

Now, they’re playing the second night of a back-to-back and could end up sitting a few players since they’re tanking anyway.

Charlotte is the best UNDER team in the NBA (33-19 to the UNDER before Wednesday’s game against the Lakers), and it has hit the UNDER in eight of nine games on the second night of a back-to-back.

Even though Denver has one of the three best offenses in the NBA, it may not need to play its starters the whole way through to win this game.

I think 227 points is a little too high given Charlotte’s offensive struggles in the 2024-25 season.

Pick: UNDER 227 (-110 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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