Hornets vs. Magic Prediction, Odds and Best Prop Bets for NBA Play-In Tournament

LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets are looking to complete an insane second-half run and make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference in Friday night’s play-in tournament matchup with the Orlando Magic.

Charlotte finished the regular season with the eight-best net rating in the NBA, going on a massive run after a 16-28 start, winning 28 of their final 38 games to earn the No. 9 seed in the East.

Then, Charlotte pulled off a crazy overtime win against the Miami Heat in the No. 10 vs. No. 9 play-in matchup, putting it one step closer to a playoff berth and a first-round date with the Detroit Pistons.

Meanwhile, Orlando has fallen well short of expectations in the 2025-26 season, and that continued on Wednesday night. The Magic, who blew a chance at the No. 7 seed on the final day of the regular season, lost to the Philadelphia 76ers, setting up a win-or-go-home game with Charlotte on Friday.

Oddsmakers have set the Hornets as road favorites in this game after they won three of four meetings in the regular season, including a 19-point win on March 19.

Do Paolo Banchero and the Magic have one stand in them to get into the playoffs? Or is this Charlotte’s moment to stamp itself as the next up-and-coming team in the NBA?

Let’s dive into the odds, a player prop to bet and my prediction for this play-in matchup on Friday night.

Hornets vs. Magic Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Hornets -3.5 (-112)
Magic +3.5 (-108)

Moneyline

Hornets: -175
Magic: +145

Total

218.5 (Over -108/Under -112)

Hornets vs. Magic How to Watch

Date: Friday, April 17
Time: 7:30 p.m. EST
Venue: Kia Center
How to Watch (TV): Prime Video
Hornets record: 44-38
Magic record: 45-37

Hornets vs. Magic Injury Reports

Hornets Injury Report

Moussa Diabate -- questionable

Magic Injury Report

Wendell Carter Jr. -- available
Jonathan Isaac -- questionable

Hornets vs. Magic Best NBA Prop Bets

Hornets Best NBA Prop Bet

Miles Bridges 6+ Rebounds (-163)

I shared this pick in today’s Peter’s Points – my daily NBA Best Bets column – as Bridges has taken on a big role on the glass in recent games:

Charlotte Hornets wing Miles Bridges was arguably the team’s best player in the win over Miami, dropping 28 points and grabbing nine rebounds in over 40 minutes of action.

Bridges came up big with the Hornets having to go small at times with Grant Williams as their center. If that ends up being the case on Friday against the Hornets, I think Bridges is worth a look to grab six or more boards.

One of the few veterans on this Charlotte roster, Bridges has played in a couple of play-in matchups in his career, and he averaged 5.8 rebounds per game during the regular season. Orlando ranked just 13th in the NBA in opponent rebounds per game, and Bridges has six or more boards in five of his last six games.

Hornets vs. Magic Prediction and Pick

Before the play-in tournament, I staked my claim that the Magic would not make it out of the play-in tournament, and I stand by that.

The Hornets posted the second-best net rating in the NBA since the All-Star break while the Magic were just No. 15 during that stretch.

Charlotte’s offense finished as the No. 5 unit in the league, and it completely outclassed Orlando in the late March matchup between the teams. While Franz Wagner and Anthony Black have returned for Orlando, that wasn’t enough to beat a Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia team in the first play-in game.

The Hornets didn’t have their best shooting game against Miami, but they still found a way to come out with a win. Players like Kon Knueppel and Ball struggled shooting the 3, but I’d expect some positive regression in that department for a Hornets team that is 12th in the NBA in effective field goal percentage (Orlando is 25th).

I’d like this spread to be inside a possession or to simply take Charlotte outright, but I’m willing to lay the 3.5 points with Orlando looking like a team that will undergo some serious changes in the offseason.

Pick: Hornets -3.5 (-112 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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