What does the ESPN BPI say about the Hornets chances to finally beat the Wizards?

The Charlotte Hornets (14-44) host the division rival Washington Wizards (10-48) on Saturday for a showdown of the teams with the worst two records in the NBA. The Wizards surprisingly lead the season series 3-0, most recently winning 124-114 in Charlotte earlier in February.

What the BPI says

According to the ESPN Basketball Power Index (BPI) matchup predictor, the Hornets have a 61.0% chance at victory this evening. Considering the team is at risk of being swept 4-0 in the season series and are not far removed from the worst three-game stretch in NBA history, seeing the Hornets actually favored in a game is quite the change of pace. If LaMelo Ball is able to suit up despite being listed as questionable with ankle soreness, the Hornets should be in a decent spot to come away with the win with Jordan Poole and Malcolm Brogdon both set to miss the contest on the other side.

Charlotte's recent games

Charlotte just concluded a nine-game road trip where the team went winless save for stealing an emotional battle against the Los Angeles Lakers right after the All-Star break.

Despite playing the Mavericks relatively close on Thursday, the Hornets have lost the last five games by an average of 30.4 points per game, a clear sign that the present for this squad is more concerned with what is next with roughly a month and half left in the season.

Mark Williams was a bright spot on Thursday, putting together 26 points and 16 rebounds against the Mavericks. All eyes will definitely be on Williams over this final stretch of the season as the team figures out what is next after all of the trade deadline craziness.

Washington's recent games

The Wizards are 4-7 in the month of February, though gathering just one win in their last eight games. Despite the overall lack of success in the win column, the team who currently holds the worst record in the NBA has secretly played quite a few close matches this month and even put together a three-game win streak at one point against the Timberwolves, Hornets, and Nets. Clearly focused on building for the future with 2024 second-overall pick Alex Sarr and the currently injured Saddiq Bey, the Wizards active roster is mostly one full of players trying to earn their minutes for next season at this time.

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