The Hornets have been one of the stories of the NBA season, producing elite advanced metrics in the second half. Can they secure their playoff spot?
Charlotte Hornets @ Orlando Magic
The Detroit Pistons will be watching closely, set to face the winner in the first round. Publicly they won’t mind, but internally they’d much prefer Orlando.
Charlotte is dangerous. They’ve shaken off the play-in hoodoo with this young group, and if they replicate their form from the past three months, they’ll be tough to stop — even on the road.
Leg 1 - Charlotte Hornets -3.5
This shapes as a Hornets win. They got over the line in their first play-in game, and while Miami pushed them, Orlando doesn’t have that same coaching edge to lean on.
Since January 1, Charlotte ranks first in the NBA for net rating with a 33-16 record. Orlando sits 18th over that same period.
The Hornets have also won the last three meetings between these teams by an average of 20.3 points. Expect another statement performance here.
Leg 2 - Miles Bridges 15+ Points
Miles Bridges remains a key piece for Charlotte and comes off a 28-point outing against Miami.
While his late regular season numbers dipped, his minutes were also reduced. In his last 13 games playing 30+ minutes, he’s averaged 18 points per game.
He’s hit 15+ in five of his last seven games with 30+ minutes, which is the role he should see here.
Leg 3 - Jalen Suggs 2+ Threes
Suggs had a poor shooting night against Philadelphia, but this sets up as a bounce-back spot.
When playing 30+ minutes this season, he averages 7.7 three-point attempts and 2.5 makes per game.
Prior to last game, he had hit 2+ threes in 13 of his previous 14 games in that role.
Same Game Multi
Hornets -3.5 / Bridges 15+ Points / Suggs 2+ Threes = $4.20
Value Bet - Charlotte 11+ @ $3.32
Player prop value is limited here, but the blowout angle is appealing.
Charlotte has consistently put teams away this season, and prior to their overtime win over Miami, they had won ten straight games by 11+ points.
They’ve also beaten Orlando comfortably in their last three meetings. If they get on top early, this could get ugly.
