by Chuck Sommers
Friday, Mar 03, 2023
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Venue: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
Where to watch: BSSE-CHA, BSFL
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Magic -3
FanDuel: Magic -3.5
BetMGM: NL
Caesars: NL
Season record
Magic: 26-37
Hornets: 20-44
The All-Star break is over in the NBA and it's time to get on the horse and finish up the final home stretch of the season. Big trades, uncertainty, and absolute hilarity across the board all gearing up for the final home stretch of this season. You know who is also gearing up for the home stretch? Our champion handicappers at bigal.com who are ready to win their way all the way to the playoffs. There's a lot going on that we can't wait for in these final 23-25 games and you're going to need every bit of hardcore analysis you can get from this group. Just in the last 30 days we've had some big winners. Doc's Sports has posted a 16-6-0 record in the last month (+$9,200). AAA Sports has killed it at 17-8-0, and then Al McMordie with a dominant 20-11-1 mark over the last 30 days. Everything you need to know and more about what's going on this league and sports in general will be a fun finish to the end. All you have to do is go to bigal.com and find our Best Bets page and put forth something that only you think is good. Here's a hint: Go to the bigal.com website and happy betting!
Magic - Hornets preview, prediction and analysis
The Orlando Magic felt the wrath of the Milwaukee Bucks, while the Charlotte Hornets succumbed to the greatness that is Kevin Durant. The battle of the two struggling Eastern Conference teams will meet on Friday in Charlotte.
The Magic, while albeit in the midst of an impressive season, are nowhere near the readiness of the Bucks, who took it to Orlando 139-117 last time out, thanks to a dominant 31-point outing from Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Cole Anthony finished with 28 points, and Markelle Fultz had 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists to help try and keep the Magic in it long enough but that won’t matter ultimately because of the juggernaut that is the former NBA champions.
“That’s a team that’s rolling right now,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “They’re playing at a high level.”
That indeed is true. The Bucks have not lost since Jan. 21 and there’s no shame in being unable to conquer a team as good as them. Maybe there will come a day where the Magic will put together something like this.
Orlando has failed to cover in four of its last five despite going 2-3 in that run. Go back one more game, and it’s 2-4 against the spread in the last six while playing .500 basketball. The Magic have played hard all season long and have really defied all expectations this season, but even they know when they’ve met their match. This game was part of it.
"We have to look at it and understand where we can be better," Mosley said. "Protecting the paint early. ... This is a resilient basketball team."
Charlotte, meanwhile, is coming off a 105-91 loss to the Phoenix Suns in the first game of the Kevin Durant-in-Phoenix era. The Hornets had their five-game winning streak end and it was the first game after LaMelo Ball fractured his ankle.
"We've got to figure out the offense here," Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. "When you lose someone like (Ball), it's not just his scoring -- it's his shot creation. So we have to figure out better ways to sub so we don't have those stretches where we have lineups on the floor where it's going to be hard to score or we're super dependent on one guy or two guys."
Kelly Oubre Jr. led the way with 26 points but shot 9 of 24 from the floor. Terry Roziers had 20 points, but the highlight was another big game in the middle with 11 points and 10 rebounds from rookie big man Mark Williams. If there’s any sort of saving grace here, it’s that Williams has turned in a great performance since getting into the starting lineup.
Prediction
What a game this should be between Paolo Banchero and Williams, two former Duke teammates, going at it in this one. I do not trust the fact that the Hornets can’t run an offense like the one they want to run with Ball in it. This is a great chance for the Magic to keep back on pace. Magic 117, Hornets 107
Betting trends
Magic are 17-14 ATS on the road this season.
Magic are 17-21 ATS against division opponents the last 3 seasons.
Magic are 13-4 ATS after 2 straight road games this season.
Hornets are 12-18 ATS at home this season.
Hornets are 14-20 ATS off an under this season.
Projected starting lineup
Magic:
PG: Markelle Fultz
SG: Gary Harris
SF: Franz Wagner
PF: Paolo Banchero
C: Wendell Carter Jr.
Hornets:
PG: Terry Rozier
SG: Kelly Oubre Jr.
SF: Gordon Hayward
PF: JT Thor
C: Mark Williams
Injury report
Magic: Jonathan Isaac (hamstring, out)
Hornets: LaMelo Ball (ankle, out)
Magic: Jonathan Isaac (hamstring, out)
Hornets: LaMelo Ball (ankle, out)
Don't miss our champion handicappers' free picks and expert basketball picks today. And if you enjoyed this Orlando Magic - Charlotte Hornets prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our daily NBA projections and previews.
Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
