The Charlotte Hornets have won nine of 11 contests so far in March but suffered a 101-93 home loss against Denver Saturday. I think they'll struggle again tonight when playing host to the phenomenal San Antonio Spurs who just knocked back the Warriors with a 87-79 win.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Situational - The Hornets recent surge have put them in contention for third place in the East as they enter this contest only one game back of the Hawks. They do however have a more winnable game against the Nets at Brooklyn tomorrow and might prioritize that contest both mentally and physically rather than bang their heads against the wall trying to solve the Spurs defense.

2. The Spurs' Defense - San Antonio is superior in the NBA with 92.3 points allowed per game and held the mighty Warriors 36.9 points below their league-leading average Saturday. The Hornets connected on only 42.2 percent on their shots in Saturday's loss to the Nuggets.

3. X-Factor - The Spurs defeated the Hornets 114-94 at home back in November and have covered the spread in six of the last eight meetings in the series.

Selection: This is a play on the San Antonio Spurs (10*)