Boston Celtics at Charlotte Hornets on Thursday, February 4 is about as close to a coin flip as the ratings get, with the Hornets at only 57%. Small things like rest, health and shooting variance should decide it.
Why it is so close
The Win Meter reads the Hornets 57%, with a projected score of Boston Celtics 114, Charlotte Hornets 116. The rating gap is 53 points in favor of the Celtics, and home court and rest add about 101 rating points for the Hornets on top of that.
Readings in this range leave plenty of room for the other side. About 43 times in 100 games like this, the Celtics would win.
Recent form
The Celtics are 1-1 this season and 1-4 in their last 5 games, with an average margin of -8.4. The Hornets are 2-1 this season and 3-2 in their last 5 games, with an average margin of -13.
The Celtics were beaten 113-97 at home by PHI not long ago.
The Hornets were beaten 128-81 at home by ATL not long ago.
Injuries to watch
Out: Devin Carter (BOS), expected back Nov 8, 2026, Kylan Boswell (CHA), expected back Nov 2, 2026, Coby White (CHA), expected back Oct 26, 2026, Kon Knueppel (CHA), expected back Oct 26, 2026, and Grant Williams (CHA), expected back Oct 30, 2026.
The season series
In our records of recent meetings, the Celtics lead 6-1, with the Celtics outscoring the Hornets by an average of 9.3 points per game. The last meeting was CHA 102, BOS 113.