The Win Meter favors the Hornets at home against the Lakers on Sunday, January 31, at about 61%. That is a real edge, but the Lakers are far from out of it.
How the Win Meter reads
The Win Meter reads the Hornets 61%, with a projected score of Los Angeles Lakers 114, Charlotte Hornets 116. The rating gap is 22 points in favor of the Lakers, and home court and rest add about 100 rating points for the Hornets on top of that.
Readings in this range leave plenty of room for the other side. About 39 times in 100 games like this, the Lakers would win.
Recent form
The Lakers are 2-0 this season and 2-3 in their last 5 games, with an average margin of -3.2. The Hornets are 2-1 this season and 3-2 in their last 5 games, with an average margin of -13.
The Lakers' best recent win was 127-105 at home against GSW.
The Lakers were beaten 131-108 at home by OKC not long ago.
The Hornets were beaten 128-81 at home by ATL not long ago.
Injuries to watch
Out: Cameron Carr (LAL), expected back Oct 27, 2026, Adou Thiero (LAL), expected back Oct 27, 2026, Kylan Boswell (CHA), expected back Nov 2, 2026, Coby White (CHA), expected back Oct 26, 2026, and Kon Knueppel (CHA), expected back Oct 26, 2026.
Day to day or questionable: Walker Kessler (LAL). Their status can change before tip-off.
The season series
In our records of recent meetings, the series is even, with the Hornets outscoring the Lakers by an average of 1.5 points per game. The last meeting was CHA 135, LAL 117.