Basketball is weird. Honestly, if you looked at the standings right now, you’d probably just keep scrolling. The Charlotte Hornets are sitting at 15-27, tucked away in the 12th spot of the Eastern Conference. They’re heading into Denver tonight, Sunday, January 18, 2026, to face a Nuggets team that’s 29-13 and fighting for the top of the West. On paper? It’s a blowout.
But sports aren't played on paper.
There’s a specific kind of chaos surrounding charlotte hornets games today that makes this 8:00 PM ET tip-off at Ball Arena actually worth your time. Denver is only a 2-point favorite. Think about that for a second. A team with twice as many wins is barely favored at home in the thin air of the Rockies. Why? Because the injury report in Denver looks like a CVS receipt, and Charlotte is finally—mostly—healthy.
The Denver Injury Crisis vs. Charlotte's Fresh Legs
You’ve gotta feel for the Nuggets right now. They just announced a "loaded" injury report. Nikola Jokic is out with a knee issue. Jonas Valanciunas? Out. Cameron Johnson and Tamar Bates? Also out. When you lose the best player in the world and your primary backup bigs, you’re essentially playing "small ball" because you have no other choice.
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Charlotte, meanwhile, is catching a rare break. Moussa Diabate is "probable" despite a hamstring tweak. Aside from Mason Plumlee still being sidelined, the Hornets are rolling out their main guys.
- LaMelo Ball is finding his rhythm again, averaging nearly 21 points over his last ten.
- Brandon Miller is back in the lineup after that knee scare earlier this month.
- Kon Knueppel—the rookie who is basically a human flamethrower right now—is averaging 19.2 points on 43% shooting from deep.
Charlotte Hornets Games Today: The Tactical Nightmare
Usually, playing the Nuggets means trying to figure out how to stop the Jokic-Jamal Murray two-man game. Tonight? It’s the Jamal Murray show. Murray just dropped 42 on the Wizards and is clearly in "I'll do it myself" mode.
Charlotte’s defense is, to put it politely, a work in progress. They rank 25th in defensive efficiency. They give up 117.1 points per game. Basically, they try to outrun their problems. Coach Charles Lee has them playing at a top-10 pace, which is a bold strategy in the Denver altitude. If you’ve ever tried to sprint in Denver, you know it feels like breathing through a cocktail straw.
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Why the "Over" is Tempting
The total is set around 229.5. Charlotte’s last game was a 136-116 loss to the Warriors. They can score, and they definitely let the other team score. Without Jokic to slow the game down and post up, Denver is going to have to run with Charlotte. Expect a lot of transition threes and very little rim protection on either side.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Roster
If you haven't watched the Hornets since November, you're missing the Kon Knueppel evolution. Everyone talked about the top picks, but Knueppel has become the glue. He’s 20 years old and playing 32 minutes a night because he doesn't make mistakes.
The Hornets also lead the league in some weirdly specific categories. They’re 8th in rebounding (45.3 per game) and 4th in offensive rebounding over the last two weeks. They are scrappy. They might not be "good" in the traditional sense yet, but they are incredibly annoying to play against because they never stop jumping for the ball.
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How to Watch and What to Expect
If you're looking for charlotte hornets games today, you can catch this one on FDSSE or ALT if you're in the local markets. For everyone else, it’s an NBA League Pass night.
- Tip-off: 8:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM local Denver time.
- The Spread: Nuggets -2 (down from -3 at some books).
- The Vibe: High-scoring, chaotic, and likely decided by whoever has more oxygen left in the fourth quarter.
Actionable Insights for Tonight
If you're watching or betting, keep an eye on the first six minutes of the third quarter. Charlotte has a nasty habit of "collapsing late," as the scouts put it. They’ll play a beautiful first half, then come out of the locker room looking like they forgot how to dribble.
If the Hornets can keep the rebounding margin within +5 and Brandon Miller stays aggressive against Denver's depleted wing depth, they could actually pull off the upset. They just beat the Lakers in LA three days ago 135-117. They have the "spoiler" energy right now.
Check the final starting lineups about 30 minutes before tip-off. If Moussa Diabate is a late scratch, Charlotte’s rebounding edge evaporates, and Denver’s Peyton Watson likely has a career night in the paint.
Watch the three-point line. Charlotte takes the 4th most threes in the league. If they’re hitting, they can beat anyone. If they aren’t, it’s going to be a long flight to Cleveland for their next game on Wednesday.