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The Charlotte Hornets (13-34) are coming into tonight's game off the back of a 122-118 win over the Atlanta Hawks. Their opponents tonight, the Utah Jazz (24-25), most recently fell to the Brooklyn Nets 117-106.
The Hornets have picked up back-to-back wins recently. Considering their troublesome season thus far, two straight wins is a good sign for the ailing Charlotte outfit. Shooting guard Terry Rozier led the offensive charge in both games. The Jazz, meanwhile, have had a hit-and-miss season thus far and are 4-2 in their last six games.
Charlotte Hornets vs. Utah Jazz Match Details
Fixture: Hornets @ Jazz
Date & Time: Monday, January 23, 09:10 p.m. ET
Venue: Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
Charlotte Hornets vs. Utah Jazz Injury Report
On the Hornets' front, shooting guard Kelly Oubre Jr. is out with a hand injury. Point guard LaMelo Ball is questionable due to wrist/ankle issues. Small forward Cody Martin is doubtful due to knee issues.
On the Jazz's end, power forward Kelly Olynyk is out due to an ankle injury.
Charlotte Hornets vs. Utah Jazz Betting Odds & Spreads
Charlotte Hornets vs. Utah Jazz Starting 5s
Hornets - PG: LaMelo Ball, SG: Gordon Hayward, SF: Jalen McDaniels, PF: PJ Washington, C: Mason Plumlee
Jazz - PG: Mike Conley, SG: Jordan Clarkson, SF: Malik Beasley, PF: Lauri Markkanen, C: Walker Kessler
Hornets vs. Jazz Prediction
Impressively, the Hornets' latest win came without star point guard LaMelo Ball, who has dealt with injury woes more than once this season. Mason Plumlee rose to the occasion, scoring 25 points, his highest this season.
On offense, the team is passable. On defense, though, the Hornets have struggled time and time again in fending off the opposition. They are currently second from the bottom in the Eastern Conference rankings, only ahead of the Detroit Pistons.
The Jazz, meanwhile, are a tough team to handle on offense. The likes of Jordan Clarkson and Lauri Markkanen continue to rack up points. However, something that has become increasingly apparent this season is the team's subpar defense. Their loss to the Nets highlighted this, with Kyrie Irving managing to score 21 points on the Jazz in just the fourth quarter alone.
Against a struggling team like the Hornets, though, the Jazz's sharp offense should be enough to get the job done.
Prediction: Jazz -8 (-110)
