Charlotte Hornets vs Boston Celtics Preview – April 7 2026

7th April 2026

The Charlotte Hornets travel to Boston on Tuesday night, but this game has a massive caveat – both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are listed as Out. The Celtics are still -5.5 favourites (1.50 ML), but this is a very different game without their two stars.

The Line

BOS -5.5, moneyline 1.50. CHA +5.5, moneyline 2.99. Total: O/U 220.5 – the lowest total on tonight’s slate, reflecting the slow pace of both teams. Via Polymarket.

Pace and Shooting

Both teams run slow – BOS pace 95.7, CHA pace 95.7. An exact match and both rated Slow. Shooting is where it gets interesting: Charlotte shoot 49.5% from the field and 40.6% from three this season – significantly better than Boston’s 42.6% FG and 32.9% from deep. The FG differential sits at +6.9% in Charlotte’s favour. BOS do have a +5.5% edge at the free-throw line.

Ratings

Without Tatum and Brown, this flips. BOS season offensive rating: 104.8, defensive rating: 96.7. CHA: offensive rating 108.0, defensive rating 93.5. Charlotte have a strong defensive rating on the season – better than Boston’s. Win rates are equal at 70% apiece, though context matters here.

Injuries

Tatum (Out) and Brown (Out) are the headline absences for Boston. Also out for BOS: Nikola Vucevic. Charlotte are missing Miles Bridges, Moussa Diabate and Tidjane Salaun. The Hornets go in healthier by comparison.

Prop Streaks

The Tatum and Brown props are worth noting even in absentia – both were on fire before going out. Tatum had gone OVER his points line (21.5) five straight times, averaging 25.8 over the last five (26, 23, 25, 32, 26). Brown was OVER pts 25.5 for nine consecutive games, averaging 31. With both absent, check who steps up in the prop streaks board for Boston’s depth options.

Head-to-Head

Split series this season – Boston won 114-99 on Mar 29 (Tatum 32, LaMelo 19 for CHA), Charlotte won 118-89 on Mar 4 (Derrick White 29, Kon Knueppel 20). Average margin across both games: -7 in Charlotte’s favour on aggregate.

Verdict

With Tatum and Brown both out, this spread looks generous for Charlotte. BOS still have depth but are minus their two best players. CHA’s shooting numbers hold up and their defensive rating is comparable. The under at 220.5 is aligned with both teams’ slow pace. Check the full game preview on Statz and prop builder for updated lines.