2024 FTN NFL Power Rankings Through Week 15: Who Takes Over the Top Spot?
Daniel Kelley
Welcome to Hoops with Noops. It’s a Friday night, and I guess the NBA wanted a break as well, because there are just three basketball games for us to enjoy. Of course, we should always be happy to have any NBA games at all, but I wish the league could find a way to smooth out the schedule to give us 6-10 games a night instead of 12-plus games and under five every other night.
The matchup between the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers should be fun despite the lack of Damian Lillard, and it will be interesting to see how much the Thunder have left in the tank as they play their third game in four nights and second in two nights in Miami against the Heat.
Those should be good games, but they’re not games I will be betting. Instead, let’s look at the game between the Charlotte Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers where I see a wager worth making.
NBA Best Bets for Friday
Charlotte Hornets at Philadelphia 76ers
Current Line – 76ers -13, 213.5
My Projection – 76ers 113, Hornets 98
Key Injuries – LaMelo Ball, Mark Williams, Grant Williams and Brandon Miller are out. Joel Embiid is questionable.
The 76ers have been the biggest disappointment in the NBA this season. They are just 8-16 and currently 12th in the Eastern Conference after being expected to be in the top three. Joel Embiid is struggling with knee injuries again and broke his sinus, which I didn’t know someone could even do. It’s been rough, but things are beginning to turn around the last two weeks. The 76ers have won five of their last seven games. Paul George is finally playing well and giving Tyrese Maxey the help he so sorely needs. Embiid is playing again and the team is starting to show flashes of potential goodness, although not greatness. This is the first night of a back-to-back for them, and it looks like Embiid will play and miss Saturday’s game, which is good for us because this is a great spot to fade the Charlotte Hornets.
Charlotte understands injury problems as well as any team. Miles Bridges is playing, but LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller will not be on the floor. That leaves little to no NBA, starting level talent on the roster. There will be hardly any good shooters on the floor and just one player, Vasilije Micić, who can handle the ball and initiate the offense. The Hornets have the fifth worst offensive rating in the NBA, and things should be even worse here in terms of efficiency. Charlotte doesn’t do themselves any favors when it comes to pace either. They are the sixth-slowest team in the league, which keeps them taking advantage of quick scores while defenses aren’t set. Instead, they move slowly up the court allowing defenses to get set. I would be shocked if they scored more than 100 points, and I’ll even bet on it. Maybe the 76ers get a big lead and let the game get away from them a bit late in the fourth quarter, but otherwise, this should be an easy under at the current number.
Bet
Charlotte Hornets Team Total Under 100.5 (-110, FanDuel Sportsbook)
If you have any questions about other games, drop them in the #nba-betting channel of the FTN Discord and tag me @noopschristenson. I’ll be sure to get back to you ASAP.
