The Charlotte Hornets (16-28) and Orlando Magic (23-19) will face off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET from the Kia Center in Orlando, Fla. The game will broadcast live on FDSSE.
The Magic are 6.5-point favorites over the Hornets on the spread (Magic -6.5), with the over/under set at 228.5 total points. Orlando is a -245 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Charlotte is +200 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Hornets vs. Magic predictions and NBA picks for Thursday, January 22.
Hornets vs Magic Prediction, Picks
- Hornets vs Magic pick: Hornets +6.5 (-115)
My Magic vs. Hornets best bet is on Charlotte to cover the spread, with the best price currently available at DraftKings. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Hornets vs Magic Odds
| Hornets Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6.5 -115 | 228.5 -110o / -110u | +200 |
| Magic Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6.5 -105 | 228.5 -110o / -110u | -245 |
Hornets vs Magic NBA Preview
The Hornets saw a comeback attempt fail against the Cavs last night, losing 94-87 in a 90s game televised nationally for an ESPN audience.
We're still doing the LaMelo vs. Lonzo thing, huh?
Anyway, Orlando is back from Europe, and according to their injury report, they might receive some good news as well.
The Magic ride into tonight having been fairly average for a month and a half. They're 10-11 since the start of December, and from December 18 through January 11, they literally alternate wins and losses for 14 straight games before flying to Europe.
Right now, at 23-19, they're a team I'm watching closely ahead of the trade deadline.
As for Charlotte, they've also alternated wins and losses for six straight, which is encouraging given that they're now 16-28 this season, with some winnable games on the horizon and health on their side for a change.
For Charlotte, Mason Plumlee (groin) and KJ Simpson (hip) are out as of this morning, but monitor their injury report during the day, as they did play just last night.
For Orlando, Jalen Suggs — who has been out since January 2 and has played two games since December 13 — is questionable (MCL).
Hornets vs Magic Prediction, Betting Analysis
Anyway, if you follow Buckets, I've mentioned this several times this season — this has been a Hornets spot, generally speaking.
Charlotte is 8-1 against the spread on no rest. They're 7-2 ATS on a rest disadvantage, and they're even 12-8 ATS as a road underdog.
Orlando may reintegrate Suggs following the flight back and reacclimation from Europe. They're 7-9 ATS as a home favorite and 3-5 ATS with a rest advantage.
This has been a heavy Charlotte spot all season — as is the under, which our own Brandon Kravitz likes. No one has more unders on the second of back-to-backs than Charlotte, who is under in 8-of-9.
I don't often do spreads, but this has screamed Charlotte all season, and it's one of the only spots I like, so I'll ride with the first half-season sample size.
Pick: Hornets +6.5 (-115, DraftKings)
Magic vs Hornets Betting Trends
