Washington Wizards vs Charlotte Hornets Picks and Prediction for Monday October 26 2026

Southeast Division rivals will battle on Monday night, when the Washington Wizards visit the Charlotte Hornets. Tipoff is scheduled for October 26, 2026 at 7:00 pm EST and the setting will be the Spectrum Center. The Hornets are a small 1.5 point home favorite and the total is set at 232.5. Be ready for all of this season's NBA action with our free NBA picks.

Washington showing signs of improvement

The Washington Wizards have been in tank mode for the last few seasons and have acquired enough talent to change their franchise trajectory. The Wizards (2-1) selected F A.J. Dybantsa with the number one overall pick in the NBA Draft to add to their talented young core. On Saturday, Washington outscored Chicago by 20 points in the third quarter and held on for a 124-120 road victory. 

Trae Young led six Washington players in double figures with 25 points (9-9 FT) and nine assists. Kyshawn George contributed 22 points (8-17 FG), nine rebounds, and five assists. Veteran F Anthony Davis added 19 points (8-21 FG) and six boards for the Wizards. 

Washington has finished in the bottom five in defensive efficiency for the last three years and have been better on that end of the floor. The Wizards currently rank in the middle of the pack in that category and held the Bulls to 43 percent shooting. Washington assisted on 28 of 45 made field goals and shot 48 percent overall. 

Charlotte needs to limit turnovers

The Charlotte Hornets are looking to snap a ten season playoff drought and won their last playoff series in 2002. The Hornets (2-1) are dealing with a couple of key injuries and increased their win total by 25 games for third year head coach Charles Lee. On Saturday, Charlotte built a 23-point second half lead and did just enough down the stretch to earn a 115-110 home victory versus Miami. 

Charlotte F Brandon Miller tallied a game-high 34 points (10-29 FG), eight rebounds, and four assists. Veteran G Dennis Schroder chipped in 25 points on 8-for-18 shooting and dropped six dimes. Naz Reid added 23 points (9-16 FG) and nine rebounds for the Hornets. 

Charlotte turned the ball over 48 times through their first two games, but cut that down to 16 on Saturday. The Hornets are currently last in the league in offensive efficiency and 27th in effective field goal percentage. Charlotte outrebounded Miami by a 46-37 margin and converted 23-of-25 free-throw attempts.

Washington Wizards vs Charlotte Hornets Picks and Prediction

Pick: Washington Wizards +1.5

Washington F A.J. Dybantsa is dealing with an ankle injury and is listed as questionable for this game. Charlotte guards Coby White (calf) and Kon Knueppel (hamstring) are getting close to making their season debut. Last season, the Hornets swept the season series against the Wizards by an average margin of 16 points. Charlotte is banged up and Washington is improved. Take the Wizards to win on the road.

Pick: Under 232.5

In the four meetings a season ago, the average total points scored was 241 and the winning team scored at least 119 points. These two teams rank in the bottom half of the league in tempo. The Hornets are last in offensive efficiency and averaging a woeful 102 points per game. Take the under.

Final Score Prediction: Washington Wizards win 116-109