Alex Hunter breaks down his analysis, prediction and pick for Thursday’s matchup between the Magic and the Hornets.
The Magic are hosting the Hornets on Thursday. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Orlando is favored by 6.5 points and this game carries a total of 227.5 points.
Let’s dive into my preview and pick for the game.
Magic vs. Hornets preview, prediction
Despite dealing with plenty of injuries this season, the Magic own a winning record of 23-19, but they still only rank 15th in net rating. Orlando just faced the Grizzlies for back-to-back games in Europe, and the Magic split this mini series with Memphis. Franz Wagner made his return from a 16-game absence due to a high ankle sprain for these matchups and while he was limited to around 26 minutes in both games, Wagner looked solid, scoring 18 and 14 points. The wing has been excellent this season, averaging 22.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Wagner ranks third for the Magic in plus/minus, and the team is 15-11 with him active, so having Wagner healthy again is huge for Orlando.
The Magic appeared to be getting Jalen Suggs back from a seven-game absence due to a knee injury, as the guard was listed as questionable for tonight, but Suggs was unfortunately ruled out this morning. The great two-way player leads Orlando in plus/minus by a comfortable margin this season and the team is just 9-10 with Suggs inactive.
Tonight will be the third time this season that the Magic and Hornets have gone head-to-head, and this season series has been split so far, but it is worth mentioning that Charlotte’s victory did come with Wagner sidelined.
The Hornets are just 16-28 this season, but they are a better club than this record suggests, as they rank 16th in net rating, just one spot behind the Magic. Charlotte has been up and down recently. The team lost to the Cavaliers last night 94-87, but the Hornets have won three of their last six, including road wins over the Lakers and Nuggets. In last night’s loss to Cleveland, the Hornets brought LaMelo Ball off the bench to keep him fresh for both legs of this back-to-back set, but the guard struggled mightily, shooting 1-of-15 from the field. Ball was one of the primary reasons for the loss, but he is likely to move back into the starting lineup tonight, as following each of the last two times he has come off the bench, Ball has started in the next game.
Ball is an elite offensive talent who is averaging 19.4 points and 7.6 assists per game this season, and Charlotte will need him to bounce back tonight if the Hornets want to take down the Magic. With Ball, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges and Rookie of the Year candidate Kon Knueppel at the helm, the Hornets are a strong offensive team that ranks ninth in offensive rating this season. Charlotte has also been great on the second leg of back-to-back sets with a 6-3 record, so this should be a hard fought game between these Southeast division rivals.
Magic vs. Hornets pick, best bet
While not getting back Suggs is disappointing for the Magic, having Wagner healthy again is a big deal and they should be able to win this game on their home floor tonight. This season, Orlando is 13-6 at home, whereas the Hornets are just 9-15 on the road.
However, the Magic being favored by 6.5 points feels aggressive, as the team is just 12-19 ATS when favored this season. Meanwhile, Charlotte is a league-best 8-1 ATS on the second night of back-to-back sets and the team is 21-15 ATS as an underdog, making the Hornets +6.5 the right bet for this game.