A nine-game schedule of NBA Cup action on Friday night is headlined in part by an Eastern Conference showdown between the Boston Celtics and Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Celtics are off to a solid 6-2 start this season, including 1-0 in the NBA Cup; the Hornets are 3-6 and 0-1 in the NBA Cup.

Friday marks the first meeting of 2026-27 between these two teams. It is a head-to-head series that has been completely dominated by the Celtics over the past decade. They are 8-1 in their last nine games against the Hornets, 14-2 in their last 16 and an almost hard-to-believe 31-6 in their last 37.

Celtics vs. Hornets NBA Betting Odds

Money line: Celtics -320 / Hornets +260
Point spread: Celtics -8.5 (-105) / Hornets +8.5 (-115) 
Game totals: Over 210.5 (-110) / Under 210.5 (-110) 
 
Given their recent head-to-head dominance and simply the fact that they are one of the best teams in basketball, it’s no surprise to see the Celtics going off as sizeable favourites.

In fact, this is the fifth time in the last six games that Boston has been favoured and the fourth time during this stretch that it has been favoured by at least 8.5 points. The 210.5 game total is the Celtics’ lowest of this 2026-27 campaign and the Hornets’ second lowest.
 
Neither team has been lucrative against the spread of late. Boston is 1-4 ATS in its last four overall; Charlotte is 0-5 ATS in its last five. The under is 4-0 in the Celtics’ last four overall, 7-3 in the Hornets’ last 10 dating back to 2025-26 and 4-0 in the last four encounters between these two teams.

Boston Celtics

The more things change in Boston, the more they stay the same. Even with Jaylen Brown now in Philadelphia, the Celtics are still rolling.

Their only losses have come on the road against Detroit and Houston, two teams that boast a combined 13-4 record. Head coach Joe Mazzulla’s squad is 6-1 in its last seven overall and its 5-0 home record includes a victory over the defending NBA champion, the New York Knicks.

Payton Pritchard left Wednesday’s win over Milwaukee with an eye injury and is questionable for Friday. The Oregon product is averaging 13.0 ppg and 3.6 apg but has connected on only 31.0 percent of his three-point attempts through eight games.

Charlotte Hornets

Charlotte is still without Kon Knueppel, who has been sidelined with a hamstring strain since aggravating it in the season opener. The No. 4 overall pick in 2025 has already been ruled out for Friday’s contest and there is no timetable for his return. As a rookie, Knueppel averaged 18.5 ppg on 42.5 percent marksmanship from downtown to go along with 5.3 rpg and 3.4 apg.

Because Knueppel is sidelined and following the departure of LaMelo Ball, the Hornets have been required to do more scoring in the paint.

Newcomer Naz Reid has stepped up in that department to the tune of 16.9 ppg. However, Moussa Diabate (8.9 ppg, 9.1 rpg) is questionable for Friday due to a quadriceps issue. Backup centre Ryan Kalkbrenner would presumably get the starting nod if Diabate can’t go.

NBA Prediction: Who Will Win Celtics vs. Hornets?

This has never been a favourable matchup for the Hornets, and it doesn’t appear to be on Friday.

They are dead last – by a country mile, too – in the NBA in scoring at 98.1 points per game and now they have to face a Celtics squad that is No. 6 in scoring defence (108.3 ppg allowed).

Until Knueppel comes back, it feels like Charlotte’s woes will continue. Let’s go with Celtics 109, Hornets 98.

CELTICS

Away

109

HORNETS

Home

98

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Predictions

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