The Miami Heat vs. Charlotte Hornets Play-In Tournament game is set to tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 14, with the Hornets entering as 6.5-point favorites on the spread, via PrizePicks.
It’s not the NBA Playoffs just yet, but it is the next-best thing as both teams fight to keep their seasons alive in the Play-In Tournament. These two squads played four times in the regular season, with Miami winning the season series 3-1.
Below, we'll break down our Heat vs. Hornets prediction and picks for Tuesday’s NBA Play-In game, including the spread, over/under, and key player picks for PrizePicks.
Make your picks for Heat vs. Hornets on PrizePicks now.
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Heat vs. Hornets Prediction, Spread, Over/Under – Tuesday, April 14
The Heat came into this season with a completely different philosophy from the Miami basketball of over a decade. Typically known for running a slow, deliberate offense and winning games on defense, the Heat lead the NBA in pace.
The results of this philosophical change weren’t particularly successful, as they finished 43-39 as the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference, but they did have the 13th-best season-long net rating (+2.1).
The Charlotte Hornets are one of the true surprise teams in the NBA. Many expected them to take a small step forward, but not many anticipated them looking like one of the best teams in the NBA for most of the season.
They play an electric brand of basketball led by their trio of young stars, PG LaMelo Ball, SG Kon Knueppel, and SF Brandon Miller, each of whom can shoot the 3-ball with the best in the league.
Charlotte finished the regular season with a +4.8-point differential, ranking fourth in the Eastern Conference, ahead of teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors, and Atlanta Hawks.
Heat vs. Hornets Spread, Over/Under – Tuesday, April 14
The Hornets enter Tuesday’s game as 6.5-point home favorites against the Heat, returning a 1.4x payout if they win outright, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
Here are the full payouts for the Heat vs. Hornets game on PrizePicks.
- Spread: Charlotte Hornets -6.5 (1.96x payout)
- Over/Under: 230.5 (1.96x payout on Over)
- Game Winner Payout: Heat 2.77x | Hornets 1.4x
Play the Heat vs. Hornets spread or over/under on PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money — available in 35 states!
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
Heat vs. Hornets Prediction on Spread – 04/14/26
Here are the key game stats and trends behind our Heat vs. Hornets prediction on the Spread for Tuesday, April 14.
Lock in your Heat vs. Hornets prediction on PrizePicks before the line moves.
- Charlotte has been the best covering team in the NBA, going 50-32 (61%) against the spread.
- Their style of basketball turned the Spectrum Center into one of the better home-court advantages in the NBA, as seen by their 26-15 (63.4%) ATS record at home.
- After the All-Star break, the Hornets had the second-best net rating in the league (+11.1), ahead of the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder and second to only the San Antonio Spurs.
- That rating was a full 8.9 points better than Miami (+2.2) over that same span.
- According to NBA Advanced Stats, the Heat gave up the sixth-most 3-point attempts per game (39) this year. Charlotte ranked second in share of 3-point field goal attempts (48.7%) and first in percentage of points scored from deep (42.4%).
Heat vs. Hornets Injury Report for Tuesday, April 14
Let’s dive into the full Heat vs. Hornets injury report for Tuesday, via NBA.com.
Miami Heat Injury Report
- SG Simone Fontecchio (ankle): Available
- SG Tyler Herro (foot): Available
- PF Nikola Jovic (ankle): OUT
- SF-SG Pelle Larsson (leg): Available
- SF Dru Smith (foot): OUT
- C Kel'el Ware (head, illness): Available
- F Andrew Wiggins (toe): Available
Charlotte Hornets Injury Report
- No injuries reported.
Heat vs. Hornets Player Picks, Stats for PrizePicks – 4/14/26
Here are the top Heat vs. Hornets picks to target on PrizePicks for Tuesday, April 14. Today’s NBA picks for PrizePicks include C Bam Adebayo and PG LaMelo Ball.
Heat C Bam Adebayo vs. Hornets Projection: 35 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- This is a significant tempo-down matchup for Bam and the Heat, facing the Hornets, who rank 26th in pace.
- Adebayo has been significantly worse offensively on the road this year, scoring 3.3 fewer points per game while shooting 3.5% worse from the field and 7.5% worse from 3-point range.
- With Herro, SG-SF Norman Powell, and Wiggins all available to play, Adebayo could see his usage rate significantly decline. He's had less than this projection in 13 of 16 games with the aforementioned trio all active, averaging 31.8 PRA.
- The Hornets have the second-best team rebounding percentage (53.9%) in the NBA.
Add Bam Adebayo to your PrizePicks Lineup now.
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Hornets PG LaMelo Ball vs. Heat Projection: 36 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- Ball averaged 37.7 PRA in April and has had more than this projection in two of his three outings against Miami this season, with his last one being a 30-6-13 (49 PRA) clinic.
- LaMelo gets a massive tempo-up spot tonight going against the NBA’s fastest team, the Heat.
- Ball is trying a whopping 10.3 3-pointers per game, and his 272 3-pointers this season were second by just one to Knueppel for the most in the league.
Add LaMelo Ball to your PrizePicks Lineup now.
Make Heat vs. Hornets Picks on PrizePicks
Of all the Play-In games, this one could shape up to be the most fun, with Miami’s run-and-gun offense taking on the elite shooting of the young and hungry Charlotte Hornets.
Don’t wait until lock — make your Heat vs. Hornets picks on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right.
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