Hornets vs. Magic Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Thursday, Jan. 22

Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic were blown out in London on Sunday against the Memphis Grizzlies, but they've had three days off to regroup and prepare for Thursday’s contest with the Charlotte Hornets.

This is the second night of a back-to-back for LaMelo Ball and company, as the Hornets lost and scored just 87 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.

Charlotte is 8-1 against the spread on the second night of a back-to-back this season, so it could be a frisky underdog in Orlando.

Franz Wagner is back for the Magic, but guard Jalen Suggs is listed as out on the team’s injury report for this matchup. Orlando is 14-9 with Suggs in the lineup and just 9-10 in the 19 games he’s missed in the 2025-26 season.

Can the Magic bounce back and protect home court as they continue to battle for a top-six seed in the East?

Let’s examine the latest betting odds, my favorite player prop for this game and a prediction on Thursday night.

Hornets vs. Magic Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Hornets +6.5 (-115)
Magic -6.5 (-105)

Moneyline

Hornets: +200
Magic: -245

Total

227.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Hornets vs. Magic How to Watch

Date: Thursday, Jan. 22
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Kia Center
How to Watch (TV): FanDuel Sports Network (Local)
Hornets record: 16-28
Magic record: 23-19

Hornets vs. Magic Injury Reports

Hornets Injury Report

Not submitted yet

Magic Injury Report

Jalen Suggs – out
Colin Castleton – out

Hornets vs. Magic Best NBA Prop Bets

Magic Best NBA Prop Bet

Franz Wagner OVER 4.5 Rebounds (+103)

Franz Wagner recently returned to the lineup for the Magic during their two-game trip overseas against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Wagner was on a minutes restriction in those games, playing 26:41 and 25:56, but he did have a strong showing on the boards, grabbing nine rebounds in a win and four in a loss.

Overall, the star forward is averaging 6.1 rebounds on 9.5 rebound chances per game this season, and I think he may be undervalued in this prop against Charlotte.

Wagner is still playing over half of the game, and he easily cleared this line in his first game back against Memphis. Even though the Hornets are No. 2 in the NBA in opponent rebounds per game, I think this line is a little low for the former lottery pick on Thursday.

Hornets vs. Magic Prediction and Pick

Even though Charlotte turned in a terrible offensive showing on Wednesday, I don’t mind taking a shot on the Hornets to cover the spread on Thursday.

Orlando is under .500 against the spread as a home favorite this season, posting an average scoring margin of just +3.9 in those games. Meanwhile, the Hornets are 12-8 against the spread as road underdogs and 8-1 against the spread on the second night of a back-to-back.

Charlotte isn’t going to shoot as poorly as it did against Cleveland (LaMelo Ball was 1-for-15), and the Magic are now once again down Jalen Suggs.

With Orlando posting a below .500 record when Suggs sits this season, I think it’s reasonable for the Hornets to keep this game within two possessions on Thursday.

Pick: Hornets +6.5 (-115 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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