Charlotte Hornets vs Washington Wizards Picks and Predictions for Friday October 30 2026
Charlotte and Washington just played Monday, and the Hornets won 110-103. Four days later, they’re doing it again, only this time in Washington. The Wizards are favored by a point and a half, which tells you the oddsmakers aren’t putting much stock in that first game. I get it. Home court matters, and Charlotte just had a miserable offensive night against Detroit. But I still think the Hornets are the better bet.
The Hornets visit Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., Friday night for a 7:00 PM ET tipoff. It’s an NBA Cup group game, so there’s a little more at stake than a normal October matchup. Washington is favored by 1.5 points, with the total at 235.5. I’m taking Charlotte with the points, and I like the Under. Get prepared for all the NBA games with our free NBA picks.
Charlotte Hornets Need Their Offense Back
Charlotte is 3-2 after losing 97-89 to Detroit on Wednesday. That was ugly. The Hornets couldn’t get much going offensively, and 89 points isn’t going to win many games in today’s NBA. But before that, they had beaten Washington 110-103 and Miami 115-110. So I’m not ready to panic over one bad night. Charlotte has been competitive in four of its five games, with the exception of that 47-point loss to Atlanta.
The Hornets are averaging 101 points and allowing 108.2. That’s not much offense, but the defense has been pretty solid. Charlotte is shooting around 41 percent from the floor, which needs to improve, and the three-point shooting has been inconsistent. The good news is Washington hasn’t been great defensively either, allowing 115.8 points a game. The Hornets don’t need to score 125 to win this one. They just need to get back to the kind of basketball they played Monday, when they held Washington to 103.
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Brandon Miller has been carrying the scoring load, averaging 25.6 points a game. Moussa Diabaté is grabbing 9.4 rebounds, and Dennis Schröder has been handling the ball with 4.6 assists a night. Charlotte is missing Coby White, Kon Knueppel, Grant Williams and Kylan Boswell, so the depth isn’t great. That’s part of why the offense has been struggling. But the Hornets have enough talent to stay competitive against Washington, especially if Miller has a good night.
Washington Wizards Want Some Payback
Washington is 2-3 after losing 121-111 to Cleveland on Wednesday. The Wizards have dropped two straight, including that 110-103 loss to Charlotte Monday. They beat Chicago 124-120 before that, so they’re capable of scoring when things are going well. But Washington hasn’t been consistent. One night the offense looks pretty good, the next night it can’t get enough stops to stay in the game.
The Wizards are averaging 114.3 points and allowing 115.8. That’s a lot more offense than Charlotte has been getting, but the defense has been a problem. Washington is shooting around 47 percent from the floor, which is respectable, but the three-point shooting has been poor at about 29 percent. The Wizards have been getting to the basket and scoring inside, but Charlotte did a good job slowing them down Monday. Washington needs to find a way to get easier shots this time.
Anthony Davis has been averaging 21.8 points and 8.4 rebounds, while Trae Young is handing out 10.4 assists a game. That’s a pretty good combination, and Washington should be able to create some offense through those two. The Wizards are missing Tristan Vukcevic, Justin Champagnie and Jamir Watkins, while Tre Johnson has been dealing with an Achilles problem. Washington has enough talent to win at home, but I’m not convinced the Wizards are playing well enough to be laying points against a team that just beat them.
Charlotte Hornets vs Washington Wizards Picks and Predictions
Charlotte Hornets +1.5 (-105)
I’m taking Charlotte plus the points. The Hornets just beat Washington Monday, and I don’t see enough changing in four days to make me switch sides. Charlotte has been better defensively, allowing 108.2 points compared with Washington’s 115.8. The Wizards have more scoring punch, and playing at home should help. But the Hornets have been keeping games close, and I like their chances of doing that again. If Washington wins by one, we still cash. I’ll take Charlotte and the point and a half.
Under 235.5 Points (-110)
I’m going Under 235.5. These teams just played a 110-103 game Monday, and Charlotte followed that up by scoring only 89 against Detroit. The Hornets aren’t exactly lighting up the scoreboard. Washington can score, but the Wizards have been inconsistent from three, and Charlotte has been defending pretty well. The danger is Washington getting hot and pushing the pace. If the Wizards start making threes, this could get away from the Under. But I think Charlotte will try to slow things down and keep it close. Something around 111-108 Hornets sounds about right.
Final Picks: Charlotte Hornets +1.5 (-105) and Under 235.5 Points (-110)
Preview prepared October 29, 2026.
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