We’ve got another exciting interconference contest on Friday’s NBA schedule as the Charlotte Hornets will host the Portland Trail Blazers. Charlotte is 11-29 overall and 7-13 at home, while Portland is 16-28 overall and 7-16 on the road. This is their first meeting this season after splitting their last two matchups last year with the road team winning each contest.

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET from the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. The Hornets are favored by 5 points in the latest Trail Blazers vs. Hornets odds, according to the SportsLine consensus. The over/under is 221 points. Before entering any Hornets vs. Trail Blazers picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past six-plus seasons. The model enters Week 14 of the 2024-25 NBA season on a sizzling 136-99 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning well over $3,000. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Charlotte vs. Portland. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the Hornets vs. Blazers game:

• Trail Blazers vs. Hornets spread: Hornets -5
• Trail Blazers vs. Hornets over/under: 221 points
• Trail Blazers vs. Hornets money line: Hornets: -207, Trail Blazers: +172
• POR: The Trail Blazers have covered the spread in three straight games
• CHA: The Hornets are 3-1 against the spread (ATS) over their last four home games
• Trail Blazers vs. Hornets picks: See picks at SportsLine
• Trail Blazers vs. Hornets streaming: FuboTV (Try for free) 

Why the Trail Blazers can cover

The Trail Blazers enter on a three-game winning streak, most recently defeating the Magic, 101-79, on Thursday. It was a completely dominant victory for Portland over the No. 2 scoring defense in the league, but Portland’s No. 24-ranked scoring defense was superior on Thursday. The Trail Blazers held the Magic to 34.2% shooting while forcing 19 turnovers, and if Portland can defend like that again, that’ll be a daunting challenge for Charlotte.

Anfernee Simons had 21 points against Orlando as the seventh-year veteran is averaging 18.3 points. Simons averaged more than 20 ppg in each of the last two seasons as he’s becoming one of the more consistent scorers in the league. The Hornets learned on Thursday that Brandon Miller, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, will miss the rest of the season with a wrist injury, and he was the Hornets’ No. 2 scorer at 21 ppg this season. LaMelo Ball (wrist) and Miles Bridges (back) are also questionable for Charlotte as injuries could play a key role in this matchup. See which team to pick here.

Why the Hornets can cover

The Hornets had their three-game winning streak snapped in a 132-120 loss to the Grizzlies on Wednesday. Mark Williams, a 7-foot center selected No. 15 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, had a career-high 38 points while adding nine rebounds and five assists on Wednesday. He’s taken on a larger role in recent games and is proving to be worthy of his expanded opportunities, averaging 20.4 points and 12.3 rebounds over eight games in January. He has four double-doubles over that stretch with at least nine rebounds in each contest. 

Ball is fourth in the league in scoring at 29 ppg. He had 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists over 34 minutes on Wednesday, and if he’s active, he’ll likely be the most dominant player on the court. The Hornets have won each of their last two home games, both over strong Western Conference teams in the Mavericks and Suns. Given their recent play in Charlotte and Williams’ emergence, they still have enough talent without Miller to knock off Portland, especially if the Blazers are without centers Deandre Ayton (knee) and Donovan Clingan (ankle), who both missed Thursday’s game. See which team to pick here.

How to make Hornets vs. Trail Blazers picks

The model has simulated Blazers vs. Hornets 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting almost 70% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Hornets vs. Trail Blazers, and which side of the spread hits almost 70% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Blazers vs. Hornets spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a 136-99 roll on top-rated NBA picks since last season, and find out.