The Atlanta Hawks take on the Charlotte Hornets tonight in a battle of East playoff contenders. The Hawks have been hot as of late, while the Hornets have been ... not so much. Can Charlotte turn it around? For all of the info you need to see the game, below is the live stream link, TV schedule, betting line, a preview and prediction.
Game Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
TV Channel: FOX Sports Southeast - Charlotte or FOX Sports Southeast
Location: Time Cable Warner Arena, Charlotte, N.C.
Live Stream: NBA League Pass ($6.99 for individual game)
Potential Free Live Stream: Stream2U
Betting Line: -2.5 ATL; 205.5 O/U
Things have been tough for the Hornets lately, as mentioned above. They've dropped eight of their last 10, and a big reason has been injuries. Both Nicolas Batum and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist are ruled out for tonight's game, and that's been a big issue for Charlotte the past couple of weeks as they're left without any talented small forwards in their lineup.
Atlanta, on the other hand, is red hot, winning seven of its last 10. Oppositely, the Hawks have enjoyed relative health this year and are expected to have a full lineup tonight on the road. They're also coming off of a 15-point beatdown of the Chicago Bulls, and even received a few days of rest between that game and this one. Ultimately, that means they should be feeling good and refreshed -- another bad sign for Charlotte.
The matchup to watch in this one will undoubtedly be at the point guard spot. Kemba Walker and Jeff Teague are two of the better young point men in the East right now, and Walker in particular has had a terrific season. He's averaging a career high 19 points, and he'll need to carry the load tonight if the Hornets are to pull off the upset.
Returning home off of a three-day rest following an extremely tough road trip, I think the Hornets will feel rejuvenated as well. Expect big contributions from Walker and Jeremy Lin as they find a way to grind out a victory and get on the right track.
Prediction: Hornets 101, Hawks 98
