Washington Wizards vs Charlotte Hornets Picks and Predictions for Monday October 26 2026
Washington went into Chicago on Saturday and nearly threw away a game it had under control. Charlotte did something similar against Miami, except the Hornets were the ones making the late push. Both teams got their wins, and now they get each other Monday. I actually like this matchup because neither team has been particularly reliable defensively, and both have enough offense to make things interesting. The oddsmakers aren’t giving us much separation between them either.
Washington visits Charlotte at Spectrum Center on Monday, October 26, 2026. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET. An early market listing has Charlotte favored by one point, with the total at 235.5. Those numbers are worth checking again before betting, but they give us a reasonable starting point. Get the best NBA action with our free NBA picks.
Washington Wizards Are Finding Ways to Score
Washington is 2-1 after beating Milwaukee 128-116, losing to Toronto 112-102, and knocking off Chicago 124-120 on Saturday. The Wizards scored 97 points through three quarters against the Bulls, then had to survive a 38-point Chicago fourth quarter. That’s not exactly the kind of finish that makes a coach happy. Still, Washington went on the road and won, and the Wizards are averaging 118 points through three games. For a team that had plenty of offensive problems last season, that’s encouraging.
Washington got 62 points in the paint against Chicago and finished with 41 bench points. That’s where I think the Wizards can give Charlotte some trouble. They’re not depending entirely on jump shots. They can get inside, and they have enough bench scoring to keep the offense moving. The problem is what happens at the other end. Washington has allowed 116, 112, and 120 points, and the Bulls nearly stole Saturday’s game with a big fourth quarter. Charlotte has been inconsistent, but the Hornets have enough shooters to take advantage if the Wizards start giving up open looks.
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Trae Young had 25 points and nine assists against Chicago, while Kyshawn George added 22 points and nine rebounds. That’s the sort of balance Washington needs. Young can run the offense, but the Wizards are much more dangerous when he’s not the only guy creating something. They also have to be careful about the turnovers that lead to easy baskets. Charlotte isn’t a particularly strong defensive team, but the Hornets will punish mistakes when they’re running. Washington has already shown it can score enough to win this matchup. Whether it can get enough stops is another question.
Charlotte Hornets Are Coming Off a Much-Needed Win
Charlotte is 2-1 after opening with a 110-103 victory in Brooklyn, getting embarrassed 128-81 by Atlanta, and bouncing back to beat Miami 115-110 on Saturday. That Atlanta game was ugly. Forty-seven points ugly. But the Hornets didn’t let it carry over into the next one, and that’s worth something. They beat a Miami team that desperately needed a win of its own. Charlotte is averaging 102 points through three games, although that 81-point disaster against Atlanta drags the number down considerably.
The Hornets have to find a better balance offensively. They scored 110 against Brooklyn and 115 against Miami, which is perfectly respectable, but they couldn’t get anything going against Atlanta. Washington’s defense should give them more room to operate than the Hawks did. The Wizards have allowed at least 112 points in every game, and Chicago just scored 38 in the fourth quarter against them. Charlotte needs to get the ball moving and attack before Washington gets organized. If the Hornets spend the night settling for contested jumpers, they’ll make this much harder than it needs to be.
Charlotte has enough perimeter scoring to keep Washington busy, and Brandon Miller remains one of the players the Wizards need to account for. The Hornets also have to get more consistent work on the boards. Washington just scored 62 points in the paint against Chicago, and Charlotte can’t let the Wizards have that kind of afternoon inside. The encouraging part is that the Hornets defended much better against Miami than they did against Atlanta. Maybe that was a one-game correction. Maybe it was the start of something. Monday should tell us a little more.
Washington Wizards vs Charlotte Hornets Picks and Predictions
Charlotte Hornets -1
I’ll take Charlotte at -1, although I wouldn’t go much higher. Washington is scoring well, and the Wizards have already won twice. But Charlotte gets the home floor and just showed it can respond to a bad loss. The Hornets should find scoring opportunities against a Washington defense that’s allowing more than 115 points per game. The Wizards have a real chance to win if Young controls the pace and Washington keeps getting points in the paint. This isn’t a game where I’d want to lay six or seven. At one point, though, I’ll take Charlotte to get the job done.
Under 235.5
I know Washington has been scoring, and I know both defenses have had some rough nights. But 235.5 is asking for a pretty good offensive performance from Charlotte, a team that just scored 81 against Atlanta. The Hornets have been much less consistent offensively than Washington, and I don’t want to assume they’ll suddenly put up 125 because the Wizards are coming to town. Charlotte also has an incentive to slow Young down rather than turn this into a race. The over can certainly hit if Washington keeps attacking the paint and the Hornets shoot well from outside. I just think 235.5 is a little generous. Give me the under.
Final Picks: Charlotte Hornets -1 or better and Under 235.5 or higher
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