Charlotte Hornets vs Indiana Pacers – Preview & Prediction (Jan. 08, 2026)
Game Preview
The Hornets come into this one struggling for consistency. After a promising stretch last season, Charlotte has disappointed this year — flashes of strong play but too many off nights. They’re 13–24 and sitting well outside the play-in picture, having won just two of their last six games. Their most recent outing ended in a one-point loss to Toronto, a game they led late before a late three sealed the result. LaMelo Ball remains the primary playmaker, while Collin Sexton has been one of their more reliable scorers.
The Pacers, meanwhile, are in a full slump. Indiana has lost a long stretch of games and is near the bottom of the standings at 6–31. Offense has been a major issue — their scoring and efficiency numbers are among the worst in the league recently — and the roster has looked disjointed on both ends. In their most recent defeat they fell 116–120 after losing control in the fourth quarter despite holding a halftime lead; the team’s top scorers put up mid-20s figures but it still wasn’t enough to snap the streak.
Prediction & Notes
Head-to-head earlier this season the Pacers have already beaten the Hornets 127–118, so Charlotte can’t take them lightly. However, the matchup shapes up in Charlotte’s favor here because the Hornets have tightened up defensively in recent games while Indiana continues to struggle generating consistent offense. Add in the list of players unavailable for both teams and expect rotation shuffles that could keep scoring lower than usual.
Injuries/availability to watch: Grant Williams and Mason Plumlee are out for Charlotte, with Ryan Kalkbrenner and Brandon Miller listed as questionable. Indiana is missing Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin, Obi Toppin and Isaiah Jackson.
Tip-off: Thursday, Jan. 8 — 7:00 p.m. EST.
Suggested pick: Total points — Under 233.5. Reasoning: Charlotte’s recent defensive improvement combined with Indiana’s offensive woes suggests a lower-scoring game. Confidence: moderate. (Estimated market odds around 1.90 — check live lines before betting.)
