Is LaMelo Ball Playing Tonight? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Bucks vs. Hornets)

The latest injury update for Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball on Wednesday against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball. / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (ankle) has been ruled out for the fifth game in a row on Wednesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Ball has not played since Nov. 1 agains the Minnesota Timberwolves, and he joins a lengthy Charlotte injury report that also included Brandon Miller (out).

This season, the Hornets are are just 3-7 overall, and they have lost three games in a row with Ball out of the lineup. Overall, Charlotte is just 1-3 with the star guard sidelined this season, and it went 3-32 in the 35 games that he missed in the 2024-25 campaign.

Hornets head coach Charles Lee recently offered an update on Ball's injury, saying that he's "excited" about the progress that the star guard is making.

"I'm actually excited about the progress (LaMelo Ball)'s been making every day," Lee said. "He's feeling a little bit better, able to do more on the court.

"Our performance staff and him have sat down—all three of us actually—laid out a plan and Melo was excited about it. I'm excited about it. Our organization is excited about it. At the end of the day, we're trying to focus on how we can continue to maximize how many games he can play this season."

Still, Lee has not given a timetable for Ball's return, just saying that the team wants him to play in as many games as possible.

"He's continuing to strengthen and work on things so that he's able to play in as many games as possible," Lee said. "The movement gets better and better every day."

With Ball's timetable up in the air, the Hornets could be in for a lot more losing in the coming weeks. They are underdogs at home on Wednesday against the Bucks, but there may be a player prop angle that bettors can take advantage of in this matchup.

Best Hornets Prop Bet vs. Bucks

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Collin Sexton OVER 4.5 Assists (-133)

In the four games that Ball has missed this season, Collin Sexton has appeared in three of them, dishing out 12, five and three assists. The veteran guard was limited to just 25 minutes in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday due to foul trouble, but he could be in line for a bigger role in this matchup.

Overall, Sexton is averaging 7.7 potential assists per game, but he's seen that number skyrocket to 9.0 with Ball out of the lineup.

The Bucks are in the middle of the pack in opponent assists per game, but I don't mind wagering on Sexton when he's going to be the primary ball-handler in this offense. This season, the former lottery pick is averaging 5.0 assists per game, clearing this line in four of his nine matchups.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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