Indiana Pacers vs Charlotte Hornets Prediction & Preview – 1/8/2026

The Charlotte Hornets will host the Indiana Pacers in the NBA on Thursday night. Indiana arrives with a 6-31 record, the worst record in the league, while Charlotte is 13-23 and trying to climb back toward relevance in the Eastern Conference. Both teams have endured frustrating seasons and will try to seize this opportunity to get a win at Spectrum Center. Before the action begins, continue reading to get my Pacers vs Hornets prediction.

Our Pacers vs Hornets Pick

Game Snapshot

• Matchup: Indiana Pacers @ Charlotte Hornets
• Date & Time: January 8, 2026, 7:00 PM ET
• Venue: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
• Broadcast: NBA League Pass

Key Storylines

• The Pacers have struggled mightily this season, holding a 6-31 record with just 1 road win and ranking near the bottom of the NBA in most statistical categories. Their offense has been inconsistent and they rank near the league’s worst in points per game. The Pacers have lost 13 games in a row and they will try to get a rare win in this contest against the Hornets.
• Indiana continues to deal with notable absences due to injuries. Tyrese Haliburton being out for the season was just the beginning for this team on the injury front. They are also without Bennedict Mathurin, Obi Toppin, and Isaiah Jackson for this contest.
• The Hornets sit with a better overall record at 13-23 and have shown they can be competitive, including a 124-97 upset over the Oklahoma City Thunder early in the week. The Hornets lost a heartbreaker last night, giving up a three at the buzzer to lose by one point to the Toronto Raptors. Charlotte will try to bounce back here, but will need to overcome the fatigue from playing on a back-to-back for that to happen.
• Charlotte is also dealing with some injuries going into this game. Ryan Kalkbrenner, Grant Williams, and Mason Plumlee are all listed as out for the Hornets. But they could have Brandon Miller back for this game after some time out due to injury. Miller is one of the best pure scorers in the game when healthy, and the Hornets will hope to have his production again on Thursday night.

Head-to-Head & Betting Trends

• The Pacers defeated the Hornets 127-118 in their first meeting of the season back in November.
• Charlotte is 22-15 against the spread so far this season.
• Indiana is 18-19 against the spread going into this game.
• The under is 22-15 in Pacers games this year.
• The Hornets have gone under the total in 23 of their 37 games.

Best Player Props to Watch

Pacers vs Hornets Model Projection

Final Thoughts

Jay Sanin

Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.