The Charlotte Hornets and the Orlando Magic will battle on Friday for the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Charlotte will visit Orlando after beating the Miami Heat 127-126 in overtime on Tuesday. A win by the Hornets will push them to the playoffs for the first time in a decade.
Meanwhile, the reeling Magic will have one more chance to punch a playoff ticket after losing 109-97 to the Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia 76ers two nights ago. Orlando, which has failed to meet expectations this season, hopes for a better performance, particularly from their starters, to keep their campaign alive.
Charlotte Hornets vs Orlando Magic Odds
Moneyline: Hornets (-170) vs. Magic (+140)
Odds: Hornets (-3.5 -110) vs. Magic (+3.5 -110)
Total (O/U): Hornets (o218.5 -107) vs. Magic (u218.5 -111)
Editor’s Note: The odds could change closer to the game.
Charlotte Hornets vs Orlando Magic Injury Reports
Hornets Injury Report
The Hornets are hoping starting center Moussa Diabate, who is questionable due to left hip soreness, will be cleared to play. Diabate contributed eight points and a game-high 14 rebounds in Charlotte’s win over Miami. The Hornets will need the Frenchman to man the paint against Orlando’s imposing frontline.
Magic Injury Report
The Magic have cleared starting big man Wendell Carter Jr. (nasal fracture) for the showdown against the Hornets.
Orlando’s already formidable frontline could get a boost if Jonathan Isaac (left knee sprain) gets the green light to play. Isaac, who hasn’t played since mid-March due to the injury, has been upgraded to questionable.
Charlotte Hornets vs Orlando Magic Starting Lineups
Hornets
PG: LaMelo Ball | SG: Kon Knueppel | SF: Brandon Miller | PF: Miles Bridges | C: Moussa Diabate
Magic
SG: Jalen Suggs | SG: Desmond Bane | SF: Franz Wagner | PF: Paolo Banchero | C: Wendell Carter Jr.
Charlotte Hornets vs Orlando Magic Prediction
Charlotte has had Orlando’s number this season, winning the head-to-head series 3-1. The last time the two teams met in late March, the Hornets cruised to a 130-111 win.
Since that encounter, Charlotte finished the regular season with an 8-4 mark while Orlando limped to a 7-6 record. Four of the Magic’s wins came against teams that were already out of even play-in tournament contention. Orlando also lost to Boston in its final game despite the Celtics playing without their top 7 players.
The Hornets have been playing better than the Magic since they last met. Expect Charlotte to keep its form and beat the home team by a margin that beats the -3.5 spread.
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