Orlando Magic vs Charlotte Hornets Prediction & Picks - NBA

Prediction published on 4/5/24, 2:07 AM  by Lou Aguila | Modified on 4/5/24 at 4:10 AM in NBA Picks

The Orlando Magic will travel to the Queen City where they will attempt to complete a regular-season sweep of the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, 7:00 PM US EST, at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Magic opened as the overwhelming road favorites at -10.5 points after they won their first three meetings by an average margin of 15 points.

The Orlando Magic:

At 45-31, the Magic are in a tight battle for playoff position in the Eastern Conference standings, seeking to secure a home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Paolo Banchero's ascension has been a driver for the Magic's turnaround this season. This season, the reigning Rookie of the Year is averaging 22.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists, earning his first All-Star appearance.

In their recent win vs. the New Orleans Pelicans 117-108, Orlando leaned on Banchero to lead the way as he finished with 34 points on 10-for-24 FG shooting. He also added six rebounds and four assists in 38 minutes of action.

The Charlotte Hornets:

The Hornets suffered their fourth straight defeat at the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers, 89-86. The loss moved Charlotte just a few games ahead of lottery-bound teams Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons at the bottom of the East standings.

As another disappointing season comes to a close, Steve Clifford announced that he will step down from the head coaching role after this season, allowing the Hornets to search for suitable replacement this offseason.