The Charlotte Hornets (16-28) turn around quickly after last night’s 94-87 home loss to Cleveland, as they dive into a Southeast Division battle in Central Florida when they face the Orlando Magic (23-19).
Orlando takes the court for the first time since splitting a pair of games against Memphis in Europe last weekend.
Let’s look at the Hornets vs. Magic prediction and spread for Thursday night’s tilt at Kia Center, tipping off at 7:00 p.m. ET. Make your picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks and earn real money if you’re right, including on game winners, spreads, and totals!
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Hornets vs. Magic Prediction on Spread
The road squad has captured each of the first two matchups, each winning by double-digits.
Orlando took care of Charlotte as 3.5-point favorites on October 30, but the Hornets grabbed revenge in a 120-105 rout on December 26 as 5.5-point underdogs.
Hornets vs. Magic Over/Under, Spread
The Magic enter this matchup as 6.5-point favorites, returning a 1.36x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
The Hornets are road underdogs with a 2.85x payout if they win, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
- Spread: Orlando Magic -6.5
- Over/Under: 229.5
- Game Winner Payout: Hornets 2.85x | Magic 1.36x
(Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change)
Hornets vs. Magic Injury Report
Let’s dive into the full Hornets vs. Magic injury report for Thursday, via NBA.com.
Hornets Injury Report
- None
Magic Injury Report
- G Jalen Suggs (knee) – Questionable
Hornets vs. Magic Numbers to Know
Here are some stats to know to get you set for Hornets vs. Magic tonight, including insights on our Hornets vs. Magic prediction.
- The Hornets own a solid 6-3 record with no rest, including a 3-1 road mark.
- Charlotte scored 87 points on Wednesday against Cleveland. The Hornets are 0-3 straight-up and 3-1 against the spread (ATS) in a game after getting held below 100 points.
- In the last seven games off an ATS loss, the Hornets have covered the spread all seven times.
- Orlando lost the back-end of its two-game set with Memphis in Europe on Sunday, 126-109. That marks the seventh ATS defeat in the past 10 for the Magic.
- Since losing to the Hornets on December 26, the Magic topped the 127-point mark at home in three of four tries.
- One of the biggest drop-offs is Orlando’s scoring defense. The Magic led the league allowing 105.5 points per game (PPG) last season, but ranks 13th this season, giving up 115.2 PPG.
- The Magic sit 29th in 3-point shooting, converting 33.9% of their attempts. Orlando hit 45.8% of its tries from downtown in its last home game against New Orleans.
Hornets vs. Magic NBA Player Picks
Here are three top Hornets vs. Magic picks to target on Thursday. Key PrizePicks player projections are headlined by three players: Magic F Paolo Banchero, Hornets F Brandon Miller, and Charlotte G LaMelo Ball.
Magic F Paolo Banchero vs. Hornets Projection: 21.5 Points
- January is Banchero’s top-scoring month, averaging 22.8 PPG in eight outings.
- In seven of the last 10 games, the former Duke star poured in at least 22.
- The 2022 top pick failed to reach his projection in two games against Charlotte. He scored 20 points in the first matchup, but was held to 13 points in the late December defeat.
- Since returning from a groin injury in December, Banchero hasn’t scored more than 21 points in five of seven games at Kia Center.
Hornets F Brandon Miller vs. Magic Projection: 20.5 Points
- The former Alabama standout is averaging 25.2 PPG the last four games. This is his first stretch scoring at least 20 points in four consecutive games.
- In his last games with no rest, Miller scored 22 points at Chicago and 23 points at Denver.
- The second pick of the 2023 draft struggled against Orlando on December 26, scoring 15 points on 5-of-16 shooting.
- In his past seven road games, Miller is averaging 22.5 PPG and eclipsed this projection five times.
Hornets G LaMelo Ball vs. Magic Projection: 23.5 Pts+Asts
- Ball had a performance to forget last night, scoring 2 points on 1-of-15 shooting. The Cavaliers held the 24-year old to 0-of-10 from downtown.
- The third selection of the 2020 draft hasn’t passed this projection in three straight games.
- The L.A. native scored 30 points and dished out 11 assists against the Lakers on January 15.
- The 2021 Rookie of the Year put up 17 points and 13 assists in the home loss to Orlando. He racked up 22 points and 5 dimes in last month’s victory over the Magic.
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Make Hornets vs. Magic Picks on NBA on PrizePicks
The Magic are back home after a pair of games in Europe. Will Orlando avenge its loss to Charlotte from last month?
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