Charlotte Hornets vs. Orlando Magic Odds, Picks & Predictions
The NBA play-in tournament rolls on with a Southeast Division battle as the ninth-seeded Charlotte Hornets take on the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic Friday night and we have you covered with our Hornets vs. Magic prediction. The situation is similar to the Thunderdome: two teams enter, one team leaves. In this case, the winner earns the eight seed and a date with the top-seeded Pistons. The loser heads to the offseason.
Charlotte edged Miami 127-126 in overtime in the 9/10 play-in tournament matchup Tuesday night, failing to cover the line as a 6.5-point favorite. Orlando fell 109-97 at Philadelphia in the 7/8 play-in matchup Wednesday night, failing to cover as a 1.5-point underdog. In the all-time regular season series between the teams, the Magic own a 67-63 advantage. The Hornets took three of four meetings this season, including a 130-111 home win in the most recent matchup March 19. Let’s break down this Hornets vs. Heat matchup.
Hornets Try to Earn Final Playoff Spot in East
Charlotte was in a wild, tight, back and forth contest with Miami in the 9/10 play-in game but advanced. The win didn’t come without controversy as LaMelo Ball tripped Miami’s Bam Adebayo in the second quarter. Adebayo didn’t return to the game while Ball finished with 30 points and 10 assists. That included the game-winning layup with 4.7 seconds remaining in the extra session. Miles Bridges added 28 and had the game-saving block of Davion Mitchell at the buzzer. Ball was fined $35,000 for the trip and $25,000 for swearing in the postgame. He was not suspended.
On the season, the Hornets are 13th in the league in scoring offense with 116 points per game. Charlotte is 5th in the league in rebounding as they collect 46.1 boards per contest. The Hornets are 15th in assists with 26.3 dimes per contest. The Hornets are 7th in the league in scoring defense as they allow an average of 111.2 points per game. LaMelo Ball (20.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.1 assists) is one of the team’s top scoring threats. Brandon Miller (20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists) and Kon Knueppel (18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds) are solid contributors on the offensive end of the floor.
Charlotte is 25th in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 46% from the field as a team. The Hornets lead the league in threes per game with 16.4 per contest. Charlotte stands 3rd in three-point field goal percentage by shooting 37.8% from beyond the arc. Charlotte is above average in free throw shooting, ranking 2nd by converting 81.8% of their attempts.
Key Injury Report for Hornets:
- Forward PJ Hall (ankle) is out.
- Forward Moussa Diabate (hip) is questionable.
Magic Hoping to Extend Season
Orlando’s loss to Boston in the regular season finale ensured that they would be stuck in the play-in tournament. The Magic had their opportunity but couldn’t take down the 76ers on the road. If they can’t beat the Hornets at home, their season will end here. Desmond Bane led Orlando with 34 points but their other big players didn’t step up. Paolo Banchero finished with 18 points while shooting seven of 22 from the floor and turned the ball over six times. Franz Wagner added 12 in the loss.
The Magic closed the regular season 14th in the league in scoring offense as they average 115.7 points per game on the season. Orlando is 19th in the league in rebounding with 43.4 rebounds per contest. They are 14th in assists by dishing 26.5 dimes a night. The Magic are 13th in the league in scoring defense by allowing 115.1 points per contest. Paolo Banchero leads the Magic as he averages 22.2 points plus 8.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists a night on the season. Franz Wagner adds 20.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 dimes per contest. Desmond Bane (20.1 points) is a good third option.
Orlando is 21st in the league in field goal percentage as they shot 46.4% from the field this season. The Magic stand 24th in the league in threes per game as they hit 11.7 triples a night while they are 27th in three-point shooting by hitting 34.3% from beyond the arc. Orlando is above average at the charity stripe as they are 8th in the league by sinking 80.1% of their attempts as a team.
Key Injury Report for Magic:
- Forward Jonathan Isaac (knee) is questionable.
DraftKings
Hornets vs. Magic Prediction
Orlando had a prime chance to advance as the 7 seed, facing a 76ers team without Joel Embiid, but couldn’t get the job done. The Magic are home here but didn’t have much in the way of success against Charlotte this season. We saw the Hornets take the final three meetings this year, winning by 15, 27 and 19 points in those contests. Charlotte has an extra day of rest and they have momentum from their win over Miami. The Magic looked flat in their regular season finale against the Celtics and that carried over in the loss to the 76ers. It’s tough to see them turning it around now. Back the Hornets to survive and advance.
Our Prediction: Hornets -3 (FanDuel, -112)
Heat vs. Hornets Same Game Parlay
- Miles Bridges, Hornets Over 15.5 Points (-112, FanDuel)
- Kon Knueppel, Hornets Under 2.5 Three-Pointers (+109, DraftKings)
- LaMelo Ball, Hornets Over 7.5 Assists (-108, FanDuel)
Odds: +662
Bridges scored 28 in the win over the Heat Tuesday night. He’s scored at least 19 points in five of his last eight contests. He scored 16 points twice against the Magic this season. The other two games saw him play 11 and 10 points, though he logged 23 minutes in the last matchup. Knueppel, for all his success this season, has tapered off down the stretch. He hasn’t scored more than 14 points in his last five games. In addition, he has more than four three-pointers just twice in his last 11 games. That includes a zero of six night Tuesday. Ball has dished at least eight assists in six of his last eight games. In the other two contests in that stretch, he handed out six. Ball averaged 7.5 dimes in four meetings with the Magic. He should get at least eight or nine here.
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