Hornets Vs Pacers: Charlotte Entering Indiana a 13-Point Favorite on Feb. 26
The Charlotte Hornets are heavy favorites as they visit the Indiana Pacers on Thursday, February 26, 2026 at 7 p. m. ET in a matchup listed as Hornets Vs Pacers. The line, point total and recent form matter for bettors: FanDuel Sportsbook opened Charlotte as 13-point favorites with a 229. 5 point total, and numberFire’s win projection puts the Hornets’ chances at 71. 4%.
Pacers record, recent skid and defensive metrics
Indiana arrives at 15-44 and mired in a four-game losing streak at home. The Pacers have failed to cover the spread in any of those four defeats and were beaten by 21 points as an 11. 5-point underdog in a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday. The team is allowing 119. 2 points per game on the season and has conceded more than 130 points to each of its last three opponents, a run that helps explain the 13-point line and the elevated total.
Hornets road form, scoring and cover trends
Charlotte is 28-31 and riding positive momentum into Indiana. The Hornets have covered in nine of their last 10 games and have covered in each of their last five games as favorites. On their current road trip Charlotte is averaging 130. 0 points per game, and the club has been part of high-scoring affairs: both teams have played to totals of 230-plus points in each of their last three games, and the first two meetings between these teams this year averaged a combined total of 235. 5 points.
Hornets Vs Pacers betting market and recommended lines
All NBA betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook. Betting outlets list the Hornets at -13 with a listed price of -110 on that spread in some books. The matchup carries a point total of 229. 5, reflecting recent defensive lapses by Indiana and Charlotte’s high scoring on the road. All NBA win probability predictions and picks are provided by numberFire, which assigns a 71. 4% chance to a Hornets victory in this game.
Same-game parlays, player props and specific picks
One published best bet for the night lists Hornets -13 (-110) as the primary play. Analysts favor the Over in same-game parlays given the recent sequence of 230-plus totals and the 235. 5 average in earlier meetings. A specific player prop being targeted is Hornets rookie Kon Kuneppel for more than 17. 5 points; he has reached that mark in each of his last three games. Additional three-point shooting props focus on LaMelo Ball, Knueppel and Brandon Miller, each of whom has hit the designated long-range target in at least two of their last three games and who have produced nights where all three reached the mark simultaneously.
Expert perspective from Ed Scimia and betting strategy notes
Ed Scimia’s published prediction is that the Hornets will make quick work of the Pacers and that Charlotte will try to extend its road trip winning streak to three games on Thursday night. Scimia identifies Hornets -13 as a best bet and highlights Indiana’s inability to cover in recent outings and its defensive concessions as the primary reasons to back Charlotte. Scimia’s analysis includes the point total context and player prop angles for a high-scoring contest.
Scimia’s background is provided alongside his picks: he has written about the gaming industry for more than 15 years, graduated from Syracuse University with degrees in Magazine Journalism and Political Science in 2003, covered major gambling events such as the World Series of Poker, joined Covers in 2022, and focuses his coverage on MLB, NFL, college football and college basketball betting while remaining willing to cover other sports. His betting strategy emphasizes finding line value between major books such as DraftKings, FanDuel and Fanatics in his home state of Connecticut, and he is known for deep game analysis. Outside of wagering, Scimia is an avid curler who competes in mixed doubles on the World Curling Tour and runs a curling YouTube channel called Chess on Ice; that experience informed his successful curling bets during the Olympics. His advice to new bettors is to always open multiple sportsbook accounts and check the odds at each before placing a wager, aiming to consistently beat the closing line value by finding books that offer better odds.
Media, promotions and additional betting content
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What makes this notable is the convergence of a lopsided spread, a hefty point total and clear recent trends on both sides: Indiana’s porous defense and winless cover streak create a structural advantage for Charlotte’s scoring and betting momentum, informing the Hornets -13 pick and the confidence in the Over.
