Friday’s nine-game NBA slate begins with three matchups at 7:00 p.m. ET, including the Cleveland Cavaliers (35-21) against the Charlotte Hornets (26-30). Cleveland is fourth in the Eastern Conference standings, while Charlotte carries the tenth seed.
After the Cavaliers stacked back-to-back wins against two of the three worst teams in NET Rating, the Hornets (11th) are a step up in competition. Charlotte is 8-2 in its previous 10 games.
Among PrizePicks Team Picks’ point spreads and over/unders, which Cavaliers vs. Hornets prediction could bring value?
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Cavaliers vs. Hornets Prediction, Spread
Cleveland is 7-3 in the last ten head-to-head matchups, but Charlotte is 4-1 against the spread (ATS) in the past five collisions. The under sits at 4-1 in the previous five clashes. The Cavs are 2-1 in this season’s bouts.
Both teams sport 8-2 ATS records over the last 10 games. The Hornets have been involved in plenty of low-scoring games, with the under 8-2 in the past 10 contests.
Cavaliers vs. Hornets Over/Under, Spread
The Hornets are 1-2 in their current home stand, while the Cavaliers have won four consecutive away games. Cleveland is a 5.5-point favorite with a 1.4x payout to win, in line with recent trends.
- Spread: Cleveland Cavaliers -5.5
- Over/Under: 232.5
- Gamer Winner Payout: Cavaliers 1.4x | Hornets 2.77x
Team picks data is live as of publishing and is subject to change.
Cavaliers vs. Hornets Injury Report
Let’s have a look at the full Cavaliers vs. Hornets injury report for Friday’s matchup, via NBA.com and ESPN’s team injury pages.
Cavaliers Injury Report
- F Nae’Qwan Tomlin (calf): Questionable
Hornets Injury Report
- F Miles Bridges (league suspension): OUT
- PF/C Moussa Diabate (league suspension): OUT
- G Coby White (calf): Questionable
- G Liam McNeeley (ankle): Questionable
Cavaliers vs. Hornets Prediction on Spread
NBA Advanced Stats have the Cavaliers seventh in NET Rating, only four spots ahead of the Hornets. However, Hornets F Miles Bridges and PF/C Moussa Diabate are out due to league suspensions. Plus, Cleveland is a different team with a healthy roster around Cavaliers G James Harden.
Thursday night was our first look at Cavaliers PF Evan Mobley playing alongside Harden, and Cleveland dominated the Nets in its 112-84 win. Plus, Cavaliers C Jarrett Allen is enjoying a hot streak with 22.8 points per game (PPG) in February, surpassing 14.6 PPG for the season.
With the Hornets short-handed in the frontcourt, Cleveland could dominate the interior. Diabate leads the team with 8.6 rebounds per game (RPG), and Bridges’ 6.1 RPG is second in the rotation. Charlotte ranks fourth and first in offensive and defensive rebounding percentage, but this should take a hit without its top rebounders. That could mean more problems, as the Cavaliers rank eighth in offensive rebounding rate.
The Cavs allow only 45.8 points in the paint per game (sixth), while the Hornets surrender 51.1 per matchup (19th). On offense, Cleveland totals 51.3 points in the paint per contest (12th), ahead of Charlotte’s 47.0 average (24th).
This matchup could simply boil down to the Cavaliers dominating the interior.
Cavaliers vs. Hornets Picks for PrizePicks Today: Friday, February 20
Cavaliers C Jarrett Allen has an ideal matchup to stay hot, and Hornets G Kon Knueppel is a strong target to expose one of Cleveland’s flaws for player picks on PrizePicks.
Cavaliers C Jarrett Allen vs. Hornets Projection: 15.5 Points
- In Harden’s four games as a Cavalier, Allen averaged 21.8 PPG.
- Cleveland’s center takes 86.1% of his shots within 10 feet of the rim, taking advantage of the Hornets’ weak paint defense.
- Allen’s 22.8 PPG in February includes increased usage, as he’s posting 12.5 shots per game compared to 9.2 on the season.
- The 6’9” center is even drawing fouls at a high clip, shooting 7.0 free throws per game this month.
Hornets G Kon Knueppel vs. Cavaliers Projection: 18.5 Points
- Cleveland is tenth in defensive rating, but it allows a 42.0% 3-point shot distribution (19th) and 13.9 made triples per game (23rd), per Dunks & Threes.
- The Hornets carry a 46.7% 3-point shot distribution (fourth), and Knueppel is third on the team with 7.8 attempts from deep per appearance.
- The former Dookie is Charlotte’s most efficient shooter in the main rotation, converting 43.2% of his attempts from beyond the arc. Plus, the 6’6” rookie has cashed in 46.2% of his looks in February.
- Backed by 19.5 PPG and 4.0 made treys per game this month, Knueppel could stay hot from deep.
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Make Cavaliers vs. Hornets NBA Picks on PrizePicks
Will the Cavaliers add a win to their 9-1 stretch over the last ten games, or will the Hornets grab their tenth win in the last 12 games? Both teams have angles for success, including Cleveland’s interior attack and Charlotte’s 3-point specialists.
Make your Cavaliers vs. Hornets picks at PrizePicks, where you can earn real-money rewards for your predictions if you’re right. Just choose players predict More or Less on their projected stats, and follow the hoops action to see if your picks hit. You can make picks on winners, spreads, and over/unders on Team Picks, now available in 34 states.
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