🏀 Hornets vs. Magic Prediction Tonight: NBA Play-In Odds & Expert Picks
The NBA Play-In Tournament rolls on tonight as the Charlotte Hornets visit Orlando's Kia Center to take on the Magic, with the Eastern Conference's 8 seed on the line. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET (streaming on Prime Video), and Charlotte comes in as a 3.5-point betting favorite.
My Hornets vs. Magic prediction tonight digs into why the Hornets should cover and spotlights a player due to bounce back after struggling from 3-point range.
๐ Hornets vs. Magic picks & odds: NBA Play-In Tournament
See all of our experts' NBA picks based on the latest NBA odds for the playoffs.
| ๐ฐ Pick | โ๏ธ Bet size (units) | ๐ง Why I bet this |
|---|---|---|
| Hornets -3.5 (-110 via FanDuel) | 1.1u โ 1u | Hornets rank 2nd in offensive EPM |
| Over 218.5 (-108 via DraftKings) | 0.54u โ 0.5u | Line is an overreaction to ORL scoring 97 vs. PHI |
| LaMelo Ball Over 4.5 three-pointers made (+110 via FanDuel) | 0.91u โ 1u | Had 16 3PA in each of his last 3 games |
Total wagered: 2.55 units | Max profit: 2.5 units
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๐ Who will win Hornets vs. Magic?
I like the Hornets to win by seven points tonight.
Charlotte has a higher ceiling than Orlando and still managed to beat the Miami Heat in the 9-10 game despite making just 18 of 56 from beyond the arc.
The Magic, meanwhile, have had three losing skids of four-plus games and have underperformed against preseason expectations after adding Desmond Bane.
Score prediction: Hornets 115, Magic 108
๐ฐ Hornets vs. Magic prediction & best bet
The Hornets have the ninth-shortest odds to win the NBA Finals.
Hornets -3.5 (-110)
The Hornetsโ offense should be the key difference-maker in tonightโs play-in game. Charlotte ranks 2nd in offensive estimated plus-minus (+6.1), per Dunks & Threes, while the Magic sit 12th in the same metric (+0.7).
The Hornets were somewhat unlucky not to cover -5.5 in the 9-10 game, as Kon Knueppel and LaMelo Ball combined to make just 2 of 22 from beyond the arc - that likely wonโt happen again. Hornets -3.5 is -110 at FanDuel, but I would be comfortable playing this up to -4.5 on the best sports betting sites.
๐ฅ Best Hornets vs. Magic player prop bet
Our NBA playoff series odds break down all confirmed first-round matchups.
LaMelo Ball Over 4.5 three-pointers made (+110)
The reason this is a good bet is that weโre almost guaranteed that Ball will shoot a high volume of 3-pointers. He has attempted 16 three-pointers in each of his last three games - and 14+ in five straight.
He has cashed this prop in five of his last six games and shot 39.2% from beyond the arc in his final six regular-season contests. His Over 4.5 three-pointers made is +110 at FanDuel, but I would play this up to -105 on the best sports betting apps.
I also feature this bet in my Hornets vs. Magic player props.
🏀 More NBA player props tonight
I feature Devin Booker, Kon Knueppel, and LaMelo Ball in my NBA player props tonight.
๐ LaMelo Ball player prop trends
Hereโs a look at how LaMelo Ball has performed recently, as well as against the Magic:
| Bet | Best odds | Last 5 games | Last 5 vs. Magic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Over 22.5 points | -130 via Caesars | 4-1 โ | 1-4 โ |
| Over 5.5 rebounds | +122 via FanDuel | 1-4 โ | 4-1 โ |
| Over 7.5 assists | -104 via BetRivers | 3-2 โ | 2-3 โ |
| Over 4.5 three-pointers made | +110 via FanDuel | 4-1 โ | 0-5 โ |
I wouldn't put too much stock in Ball going 0-5 against his 3-point line in recent meetings with the Magic. His 3-point attempts per game have increased every month since January, and it's unlikely that he'll attempt fewer than 12 three-pointers tonight.
๐ Hornets vs. Magic same-game parlay
Knueppel has scored 14 or fewer points in five straight games despite having more than enough motivation to be aggressive between the Rookie of the Year race and Tuesdayโs elimination game.
With such a short spread, I donโt believe parlaying Hornets -3.5 with Knueppel Under 16.5 points should pay out this highly. Bet365 offers this parlay at +320, while FanDuel lists it at +287.
💵 Hornets vs. Magic SGP picks
- Hornets -3.5
- Kon Knueppel Under 16.5 points
Best odds: +320 via bet365 (0.31u -> 1u)
๐๏ธ Most-bet NBA player props tonight
Betting insights via BetMGM.
| Player | Team | Bet | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coby White | Hornets | Over 12.5 points | -110 |
| Tristan da Silva | Magic | Over 6.5 points + rebounds + assists | -130 |
| Gary Payton II | Warriors | Over 13.5 points + rebounds + assists | -105 |
| Jalen Green | Suns | Over 19.5 points | -125 |
| Brandon Miller | Hornets | Over 19.5 points | -130 |
๐ต My betting record for NBA picks
All NBA picks, including SGPs, have been tracked since Feb. 10.
| Bet type | Record | Net profit | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 113-135-4 | -19.06 units โ | -6.9% โ |
| Player props | 102-103-4 | -20.49 units โ | -7.9% โ |
| Parlays | 8-30 | +0.08 units โ | 0.7% โ |
| Spreads | 2-1 | +1.4 units โ | 35.9% โ |
| Totals | 1-1 | -0.05 units โ | -4.5% โ |
๐ก How I'm betting Hornets vs. Magic: NBA Play-In Tournament strategy
Follow all of our NBA analysis and expert predictions this season.
I risked 1.1 units on the spread, as I believe the market is underreacting to how poorly the Magic played in the 7-8 game. I only risked 0.54 units on the total because, while I like the bet directionally, the Over/Under is not set far from where Iโd price it. For my Ball prop, I didn't risk more than a unit because, even though it's early in the betting cycle, FanDuel is among the best NBA betting sites when it comes to pricing player props.
๐ Live Hornets vs. Magic odds: NBA Play-In Tournament
This line opened at Hornets -2.5 (-115) at an offshore sportsbook on Wednesday night before it was bet up to -4 (-113) over the following three hours. Money has since come back on the Magic, but not enough to significantly move the line. I expect this line to close at Hornets -4 (-110) across the board.
๐ Hornets vs. Magic betting trends
| Hornets | Statistic | Magic |
|---|---|---|
| 44-38 | Record | 45-37 |
| 50-33 | ATS record | 37-45-1 |
| 32-51 | O/U record | 45-38 |
| 6-4 | Last 10 games | 6-4 |
| 118.4 | Offensive rating | 114.2 |
| 113.5 | Defensive rating | 113.6 |
| 4.9 | Net rating | 0.6 |
๐ Hornets vs. Magic injuries
๐ฃ Is Moussa Diabate playing tonight?
Hornets forward Moussa Diabate (left hip soreness) is questionable for tonightโs game against the Magic as of the time of publication. He logged 36 minutes against the Heat on Tuesday, finishing with eight points, 14 rebounds, and one block.
๐ต Is Jonathan Isaac playing tonight?
At the time of publication, Magic forward Jonathan Isaac (knee) is questionable for tonightโs NBA Play-In Tournament game. Isaac sprained his left knee in an overtime win over the Washington Wizards on March 12.
๐บ How to watch Hornets vs. Magic: NBA Play-In Tournament
- Date: Friday, April 17
- Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Kia Center (Orlando, Fla.)
- TV: Streaming on Prime Video
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