Lakers vs. Hornets prediction: NBA odds, pick, best bets for Monday

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Handicapping the NBA season requires a wide range of knowledge and understanding of numerous intricacies.

Sure, other sports feature upsets, but due to the sheer volume of games, I personally believe the NBA produces the most head-scratching results. Sports will always be unpredictable but an experienced handicapper can anticipate certain performances and profit more often than not.

The Los Angeles Lakers have been one of the season’s early surprises with a 7-3 record, despite LeBron James missing every game and Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves also missing games with injury.

Lakers coach JJ Redick has done a wonderful job maximizing role players and game planning against the opponent.

Lakers vs. Hornets odds, prediction

The Lakers visit the Charlotte Hornets on Monday as 7.5-point road favorites. Reaves (questionable) and Miles Bridges (questionable) are two of the key question marks on the injury report on both sides.

What we do know is that the Lakers are coming off a loss and have performed very well each of the prior two instances.

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers. Getty Images

Plus, regardless of who suits up for the Hornets, they will push the tempo. Charlotte ranks 12th in pace and just played an up-and-down game with the Miami Heat featuring 234 points despite playing without Ball and Collin Sexton.

Betting on the NBA?

The Hornets rank sixth-worst in defensive efficiency. Specifically, they are allowing the second-most points in the first quarter. Opponents have started strong against them, salivating at the opportunity to face such a weak unit.

Along those lines, I expect the Lakers to start strong off their loss in Atlanta.

I have a 75-61-2 ATS record in this Post sports section. My next play is the Lakers over their first quarter team total, which I would bet up to 31.5 points.

The Play: Lakers Over 30.5 first quarter points (-125, FanDuel)

Why Trust New York Post Betting

Doug Kezirian is a New York Post contributor who has over two decades of experience in the betting space, including spending 11 years at ESPN as a host, columnist and betting analyst. He’s also the rare personality who has documented success – 14th place in 2023 Circa Million and Las Vegas SuperContest ($37K), two top-10 finishes in 2022 William Hill College Football Challenge ($58K) and also grabbed headlines with a $297K win on the 2021 NFL Draft.