Charlotte Hornets vs Orlando Magic Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 04/04/2024, 18:48  by Joseph King | Modified on 05/04/2024 at 11:00 in NBA Prediction

The fourth-place Orlando Magic will look to make it four wins in a row when they travel to Charlotte to take on the 13th-placed Hornets. The Magic are moving ever closer to clinching a top-six seed and thus automatic qualification to the NBA Playoffs. It would mark the end of a three-year drought for Orlando whose last postseason appearance came in 2020. Whatever happens, Magic fans will be optimistic about their future as the young talent on this team are ahead of schedule and proving that they can be a force to be reckoned with right now. The visitors have a 45-31 record on the season which has them a half game behind the Cavs and two games behind the Bucks in third. The Magic players will have to keep their heads focused on the task at hand and finish the season strong. They’re coming off a 117-108 home win over the New Orleans Pelicans, marking their third victory in a row after also dispatching of the Grizzlies and Trail Blazers.

The Hornets come into this game trying to snap out of a four-game losing streak. Their most recent defeat came at the hands of the Trail Blazers who dealt them an 89-86 loss on Wednesday. Charlotte’s record of 18-56 ensures that they won’t finish as the league’s worst team as they currently hold a five game lead over the bottom-placed Pistons. However, they rank dead-last in adjusted net rating, with their -10.7 mark coming in as the lowest in the 10 year sample of the statistic being tracked. The Hornets shot just 16% from three (5/31) in the loss to Portland and their 86 points was the lowest the team has scored in their last 18 games. It’s certainly not a good sign as they will now have to face one of the NBA’s best defenses.