Halftime Report

Down one at the end of the first quarter, the Clippers now have the lead. Sitting on a score of 55-50, they have looked like the better team, but there’s still two more quarters to play. They took a big hit to their ego on Saturday, so a win here would be a pleasant pick-me-up.

If the Clippers keep playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 18-12 in no time. On the other hand, the Hornets will have to make due with a 7-21 record unless they turn things around (and fast).

Who’s Playing

Charlotte Hornets @ Los Angeles Clippers

Current Records: Charlotte 7-20, Los Angeles 17-12

How To Watch

• When: Tuesday, December 26, 2023 at 10:30 p.m. ET
• Where: Crypto.com Arena — Los Angeles, California
• TV: NBATV
• Follow: CBS Sports App
• Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
• Ticket Cost: $26.00

What to Know

The Clippers will be playing the full four quarters on Tuesday, but they’re expected to have things wrapped up well before that. They will finish 2023 at home by hosting the Charlotte Hornets at 10:30 p.m. ET at Crypto.com Arena. Given that both teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this game.

It’s hard to win when you make 14 fewer threes than your opponent, a fact the Clippers found out the hard way on Saturday. They took a serious blow against Boston, falling 145-108. The Clippers have now taken an ‘L’ in back-to-back games.

Meanwhile, the Hornets’ recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Saturday after their seventh straight loss. They took a 102-95 hit to the loss column at the hands of Denver. The Hornets have not had much luck with the Nuggets recently, as the team’s come up short the last three times they’ve met.

Los Angeles’ defeat ended a six-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 17-12. As for Charlotte, they have traveled a rocky road recently, as they’ve lost nine of their last ten contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-20 record this season.

This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: The Clippers haven’t given up the ball easily this season, having only averaged 12.4 turnovers per game. However, it’s not like the Hornets struggle in that department as they’ve been averaging only 13.5 turnovers per game. Given these competing strengths, it’ll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.

Everything went the Clippers’ way against the Hornets in their previous meeting back in December of 2022 as the Clippers made off with a 126-105 win. With the Clippers ahead 71-40 at the half, the matchup was all but over already.

Odds

Los Angeles is a big 12-point favorite against Charlotte, according to the latest NBA odds.

The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Clippers as a 11-point favorite.

The over/under is set at 229.5 points.

See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Series History

Los Angeles has won all of the games they’ve played against Charlotte in the last 6 years.

• Dec 21, 2022 – Los Angeles 126 vs. Charlotte 105
• Dec 05, 2022 – Los Angeles 119 vs. Charlotte 117
• Jan 30, 2022 – Los Angeles 115 vs. Charlotte 90
• Nov 07, 2021 – Los Angeles 120 vs. Charlotte 106
• May 13, 2021 – Los Angeles 113 vs. Charlotte 90
• Mar 20, 2021 – Los Angeles 125 vs. Charlotte 98
• Oct 28, 2019 – Los Angeles 111 vs. Charlotte 96
• Feb 05, 2019 – Los Angeles 117 vs. Charlotte 115
• Jan 08, 2019 – Los Angeles 128 vs. Charlotte 109
• Dec 31, 2017 – Los Angeles 106 vs. Charlotte 98

Gordon Hayward’s Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the Clippers

Gordon Hayward’s over/under for three-pointers in this game: 1.5 at +175 (Bet $10 to win $17.50)

Before you put cash down on Hayward’s total three-pointers scored prop, dissect a few stats first:

• His 0.9 made three-pointers per game is 0.6 fewer than his over/under in Tuesday’s game (1.5).
• He has made more than 1.5 threes in six of his 24 games so far this season.
• In matchups with the Clippers, Hayward has made the same amount of three-pointers per game as this contest’s over/under (1.5).
• Hayward has had one game against the Clippers making more than 1.5 3-pointers.

Gordon Hayward Recent Three-Point Performance

Gordon Hayward Season Stats

Gordon Hayward’s Other Props vs. the Clippers