The first game on Friday in the NBA is going to be between Charlotte Hornets and Minnesota Timberwolves. Charlotte is having a very bad season as they have only 5 wins in 19 games and that gives them second to the last position in the Eastern Conference. The expectations were bigger for Minnesota and currently, they are the 8th-best team in the Western Conference with 10 wins and 8 losses.

The Hornets missed Lamelo Ball at the start of the season, then he played a few games and now he's injured again. There's no clear timetable on when we could see Ball back on the court but he's a very important player for the team and his presence can't be replaced. A few days ago, the Hornets beat the 76ers by six points. That was only the 2nd win at home and Philadelphia was missing Joel Embiid, James Harden and Tyrese Maxey. Despite the thin roster of Philadelphia, Charlotte just by a few points and they trailed for 2 and a half quarters.

Minnesota struggled at the start of the season and they even had just 1 win in 7 games but now the team is rolling. The Timberwolves have won the last 5 games and 4 of them have been on the road. Minnesota has beaten the Cavaliers, Magic, 76ers (with Embiid), Heat and Pacers. Those all are very solid teams but the Hornets aren't one of them.

Let's compare the last 5 games' advanced stats. Minnesota has the 8th-best offensive rating (115.6) and the 5th-best defense (106.3) which gives them the 4th-best net rating (9.3). Charlotte has demonstrated only the 25th-best offense (106.7) and the 13th-best defense (110.1), that overall gives the 19th-best net rating (-3.3). The difference in these statistics is huge.

If we look at matchups, Minnesota has an advantage in almost every position. Charlotte is going to be without Gordon Hayward and he's an important player on offense. Rudy Gobert and Karl Anthony Towns should be able to dominate in the paint as there shouldn't be any real threat to them. Charlotte has covered the spread at home only twice in 8 games but Minnesota has covered the spread away from home in 50% of games. I'm more than confident that Minnesota will win this game.