The Charlotte Hornets are looking to improve their defense as they face the Boston Celtics on Friday at TD Garden. The Celtics have won 22 out of the last 27 games against the Hornets and are favored by 10.5 points. Charlotte is coming off a 118-104 loss to the Washington Wizards, while Boston recently beat the Philadelphia 76ers 106-99. P.J. Washington (20 points) and Terry Rozier (19 points) were the top scorers for Charlotte, while Derrick White (19 points) and Malcolm Brogdon (19 points) were the top scorers for Boston. The Hornets are hoping to reverse their fortunes, while the Celtics are looking to continue their success.

Who’s Playing

Charlotte @ Boston

Current Records: Charlotte 15-41; Boston 39-16

What to Know

This Friday, the Charlotte Hornets are hoping to patch up the holes in a defense that has allowed an average of 118.59 points per game. They will hit the road for the second straight game as they head to TD Garden at 7:30 p.m. ET Friday. They have some work to do to even out the 5-22 series between these two since December of 2015, but a win here would be a good start.

It was all tied up 61-61 at halftime, but the Hornets were not quite the Washington Wizards’ equal in the second half when they met on Wednesday. Charlotte took a hard 118-104 fall against Washington. Power forward P.J. Washington (20 points) and shooting guard Terry Rozier (19 points) were the top scorers for Charlotte.

Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 106-99 on Wednesday. The top scorers for Boston were shooting guard Derrick White (19 points) and point guard Malcolm Brogdon (19 points).

Charlotte is the clear underdog, so they’re hoping it’s the size of the fight that determines this one. Now might not be the best time to take the Hornets against the spread since they’ve let down bettors for the past four consecutive games.

Boston’s win lifted them to 39-16 while Charlotte’s defeat dropped them down to an irreparable 15-41. We’ll see if the Celtics can repeat their recent success or if Charlotte bounces back and reverse their fortune.

How To Watch

• When: Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET
• Where: TD Garden — Boston, Massachusetts
• TV: ESPN
• Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
• Follow: CBS Sports App
• Ticket Cost: $90.00

Odds

The Celtics are a big 10.5-point favorite against the Hornets, according to the latest NBA odds.

The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 10.5-point spread, and stayed right there.

Over/Under: -108

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Series History

Boston have won 22 out of their last 27 games against Charlotte.

• Jan 16, 2023 – Boston 130 vs. Charlotte 118
• Jan 14, 2023 – Boston 122 vs. Charlotte 106
• Nov 28, 2022 – Boston 140 vs. Charlotte 105
• Mar 09, 2022 – Boston 115 vs. Charlotte 101
• Feb 02, 2022 – Boston 113 vs. Charlotte 107
• Jan 19, 2022 – Charlotte 111 vs. Boston 102
• Oct 25, 2021 – Boston 140 vs. Charlotte 129
• Apr 28, 2021 – Boston 120 vs. Charlotte 111
• Apr 25, 2021 – Charlotte 125 vs. Boston 104
• Apr 04, 2021 – Boston 116 vs. Charlotte 86
• Dec 31, 2019 – Boston 109 vs. Charlotte 92
• Dec 22, 2019 – Boston 119 vs. Charlotte 93
• Nov 07, 2019 – Boston 108 vs. Charlotte 87
• Mar 23, 2019 – Charlotte 124 vs. Boston 117
• Jan 30, 2019 – Boston 126 vs. Charlotte 94
• Dec 23, 2018 – Boston 119 vs. Charlotte 103
• Nov 19, 2018 – Charlotte 117 vs. Boston 112
• Feb 28, 2018 – Boston 134 vs. Charlotte 106
• Dec 27, 2017 – Boston 102 vs. Charlotte 91
• Nov 10, 2017 – Boston 90 vs. Charlotte 87
• Apr 08, 2017 – Boston 121 vs. Charlotte 114
• Jan 16, 2017 – Boston 108 vs. Charlotte 98
• Dec 16, 2016 – Boston 96 vs. Charlotte 88
• Oct 29, 2016 – Boston 104 vs. Charlotte 98
• Apr 11, 2016 – Charlotte 114 vs. Boston 100
• Dec 23, 2015 – Boston 102 vs. Charlotte 89
• Dec 12, 2015 – Boston 98 vs. Charlotte 93