Charlotte Hornets @ Denver Nuggets - February 20, 2025

As the Denver Nuggets prepare to face off against the Charlotte Hornets at Ball Arena, all signs point toward a compelling matchup that favors the home team. With an impressive eight-game winning streak on the line, the Nuggets have established themselves as a formidable force in recent weeks, and their numbers reflect that dominance.

Offensively, Denver is averaging 121.5 points per game with an efficient shooting percentage of 51.1%. Their ability to spread the floor is evident in their three-point shooting, where they connect at a rate of 38.0%. Additionally, they excel at getting to the free-throw line with a conversion rate of 77.9%, complemented by solid ball movement resulting in approximately 31.3 assists per game. These stats not only showcase their scoring prowess but also highlight their versatility and depth as a unit.

In contrast, Charlotte has struggled offensively this season, managing only 106.3 points per game on a less-than-stellar shooting percentage of 43.0%. Their three-point shooting stands at 34.4%, which isn’t terrible but pales compared to what Denver brings to the table. The Hornets average just 23.9 assists per game, indicating potential issues with ball movement and shot creation.

Defensively, both teams are relatively even when it comes to total rebounds; however, Denver edges out Charlotte slightly by grabbing an average of 45.8 boards compared to Charlotte’s 45.7 rebounds per game. The Nuggets also boast superior defensive metrics with about 8.4 steals and fewer turnovers (14) than Charlotte’s average of about 7.9 steals and nearly 15 turnovers committed each game.

Given these statistics and trends leading into Thursday’s matchup, I fully expect the Nuggets not only to win but also cover the hefty -15-point spread set by oddsmakers for this contest—especially considering they’ve gone an impressive 5-0 ATS in their last five games at home.

Charlotte does come into this matchup having won their most recent outing against Los Angeles; however, they remain just two wins shy of double digits on the season (sitting at a disappointing record of just over .260). While they’ve covered in four out of their last six games (4-2 ATS), it’s important to note that they’ve lost nine out of eleven overall.

With such contrasting offensive outputs between these two teams—Denver averaging about +15 more points per game than Charlotte—the expectation is that we will see plenty of scoring opportunities for Denver while limiting those for Charlotte.

As for totals bettors eyeing that opening Over/Under mark set at around 228.5: given both teams’ current trajectories combined with Denver’s offensive firepower and Charlotte’s defensive struggles—it seems likely we could see this number exceeded tonight as well.

In summary: my prediction is clear—the Nuggets take care of business against the Hornets while covering comfortably and pushing past that total as well!