Can the Hornets knock off the champs? Predictions are in for Charlotte vs. Oklahoma City

No chance the Charlotte Hornets pick up their second straight win tonight and close out a three-game road trip 2-1 tonight, right? Well, if they do, it will be well-earned as they'll be taking on the Oklahoma City Thunder. who are 30-6 on the season.

Can the Hornets pull off an absolute stunner? Here is our staff at Charlotte Hornets On SI sees this one playing out.

Zach Roberts: Thunder 111, Hornets 91

There is zero reason this contest should be close at all. The Hornets are playing well, but they're still no match for the Thunder. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will get whatever he wants on offense, and the Thunder's swarming defense won't allow LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, or Brandon Miller to breathe. It should be a laugher.

Matt Alquiza: Thunder 115, Hornets 97

Charlotte’s most recent injury report gives you a window into how they view their chances tonight. The Thunder are coming off a buzzer-beating loss against the Suns and will quickly right the ship against a severely shorthanded Hornets squad.

Evan Campos: Thunder 120, Hornets 105

The Hornets hung around with the Thunder for a half back in mid-November, but one cold shooting quarter and Oklahoma City’s defense tightening up ultimately doomed them. Charlotte is banged up again, lacks size in the frontcourt, and now walks into a tough road environment, all of which helps explain why they sit as roughly 16-point underdogs. This feels like a repeat of that first meeting—competitive early, but one bad stretch likely sends it the other way.

Owen O'Connor: Thunder 128, Hornets 113

The Hornets should receive Moussa Diabaté back into their lineup tonight, but it likely won't be a needle moved against this Oklahoma City Thunder team. While the Hornets hung around last time the two team’sfaced off, the amount of talent on OKC’s roster is far too much for the Hornets. A real win tonight would be to snap Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 20-point streak, which sits at 107 straight games.

The Hornets and Thunder will tip the action off at 8 p.m. ET.

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