Hawks vs. Hornets prediction: Why Atlanta is favored to win Thursday's NBA matchup [12/18/2025]

The Charlotte Hornets and Atlanta Hawks will lock horns in NBA action at Spectrum Center on Thursday, with tipoff at 7:00 PM ET.

Based on updated simulation results and today’s injury news, Dimers' advanced NBA model projects the Hawks as the most likely winner of the Hawks vs. Hornets game.

This prediction follows the latest NBA Injury Report, which suggests the Hornets lineup will feature stars like Miles Bridges, Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel, while the Hawks will look to Jalen Johnson, Trae Young and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

This article offers a closer look at Thursday's matchup, including an expanded look at the predicted score, best bets and player prop picks.

Hawks vs. Hornets prediction: Who will win and cover?

Using powerful machine learning and data, we have simulated the result of Thursday's NBA game between the Hawks and Hornets 10,000 times as part of our NBA predictions coverage.

Our famous predictive model currently gives the Hawks a 65% chance of defeating the Hornets. Our predicted final score has the Hawks winning 121-117.

According to our model, the Hornets (+4.5) have a 52% chance of covering the spread, while the 240.5-point over/under has a 53% chance of staying under.

Hawks vs. Hornets odds

We have sourced the best NBA odds in America for this game, which are listed here:

Bet Type	Hawks	Hornets
Spread	-4.5 (-110)	+4.5 (-110)
Moneyline	-185	+156
Total	o240.5 (-108)	u240.5 (-110)

All odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Hawks vs. Hornets picks and best bet

After matching our probabilities against the best available odds, we can reveal our picks for each of the major markets. Plus, find our best bet for the game below:

Bet Type	Pick	Bet Now
Spread	Hornets +4.5	-110
Moneyline	Hawks	-185
Total	Under 240.5	-110

According to our best NBA bets for Thursday, the top play to make on this game is Under 240.5 total points.

Hawks vs. Hornets player props

NBA prop bets are an exciting way to wager on the Hawks vs. Hornets game without necessarily betting on the outcome. We use the best information available to project how each team's leading players will perform at Spectrum Center.

Jalen Johnson is expected to lead the Hawks with 23 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists, while Miles Bridges is projected to have 22 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists for the Hornets.

Check out our NBA player projections for a full range of projected box scores, including points, assists, rebounds and today's NBA first basket picks.

Hawks prediction

Our model's projected player stats for the Hawks are:

Player	PTS	REB	AST	3PM	DFS
Jalen Johnson	23	10	7	1	53
Trae Young	19	2	8	2	38
N. Alexander-Walker	17	3	3	2	32
Onyeka Okongwu	16	8	3	2	38
Dyson Daniels	13	7	5	1	36

Hornets prediction

Projected points, rebounds, assists and three-pointers made for the Hornets:

Player	PTS	REB	AST	3PM	DFS
Miles Bridges	22	7	4	2	42
Brandon Miller	22	5	4	3	40
Kon Knueppel	20	5	4	3	38
LaMelo Ball	18	4	6	3	36
KJ Simpson	8	3	3	1	21

Hawks vs. Hornets game-day updates and essential details

Thursday's action between the Hornets and Hawks at Spectrum Center is scheduled to commence at 7:00 PM ET.

• Who: Atlanta Hawks vs. Charlotte Hornets
• Date: Thursday, December 18, 2025
• Time: 7:00 PM ET/4:00PM PT
• Venue: Spectrum Center

Conclusion

We predict the Hawks, with a 65% win probability, will likely beat the Hornets on Thursday, with Jalen Johnson projected for a game-high 53 fantasy points.

AI and automation have enhanced this article to quickly deliver accurate Hawks vs. Hornets insights, with human oversight ensuring high editorial quality. Our predictions are sourced from the latest data to help you make informed decisions. For additional resources and advice on responsible gambling, please call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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