Southeast Division foes square off in a standalone window on Sunday afternoon. The Orlando Magic visit the Charlotte Hornets for a matinee matchup, and the Magic are 2-1 in the last three games. Orlando is 21-32 overall this season, while Charlotte is 15-39 after losing its last three contests. Kelly Oubre (hand) and Cody Martin (knee) are out for the Hornets. Chuma Okeke (knee) is out for the Magic.
Tip-off is at 1 p.m. ET in Charlotte. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Hornets as 1.5-point home favorites, while the over/under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 237 in the latest Magic vs. Hornets odds. Before you make any Hornets vs. Magic picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past four-plus seasons. The model enters Week 16 of the 2022-23 NBA season on a stunning 49-23 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,300. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Magic vs. Hornets and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Hornets vs. Magic:
- Magic vs. Hornets spread: Hornets -1.5
- Magic vs. Hornets over/under: 237 points
- Magic vs. Hornets money line: Hornets -125, Magic +105
- ORL: The Magic are 14-12-1 against the spread in road games
- CHA: The Hornets are 8-15 against the spread in home games
- Magic vs. Hornets picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Magic can cover
Orlando is led by the dynamic forward duo of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Banchero, who is the frontrunner for the NBA Rookie of the Year award, is averaging 20.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, while Wagner adds 19.6 points per game on 59.4% true shooting. Orlando also takes full advantage of the free throw line, ranking in the top five of the NBA with 25.7 attempts per game.
The Magic are facing a Hornets team that lands in the bottom five of the league in defensive efficiency, and Orlando also has a favorable matchup on defense. Charlotte is scoring fewer than 1.09 points per possession this season, and the Hornets are shooting just 32.1% from 3-point range and 45.1% from the field. Orlando is No. 6 in the NBA in 3-point defense, holding opponents to 34.9%, and the Magic are securing well over 72% of available defensive rebounds after forcing a missed shot.
Why the Hornets can cover
Charlotte has the benefit of home-court advantage to go along with strong qualities on both offense and defense. The Hornets take care of the ball effectively, committing fewer than 14 turnovers per game. That places Charlotte in the top 10 of the NBA in ball security, and the Hornets are in the top eight of the league in points in the paint (55.0 per game), second-chance points, and fast break points. Charlotte has a stellar 29.0% offensive rebound rate, and Orlando is in the bottom five of the NBA in 2-point defense, allowing opponents to shoot 56.9% inside the arc.
On the opposite end, Charlotte creates havoc with 15.1 takeaways per game, including 8.0 steals per contest. The Hornets are also above-average with 4.9 blocked shots per game, and Orlando ranks No. 24 or worse in points per possession, assists per game, and turnover avoidance on the offensive end.
How to make Hornets vs. Magic picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Under on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 228 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Magic vs. Hornets? And which side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
