Score Predictions for a Massive Hornets vs Heat Divisional Matchup

The Charlotte Hornets (34-34) look to get over .500 again in their last of four regular season matchups against the Miami Heat (38-30) tonight at 7:00 PM at the Spectrum Center.

The game will stream on NBA League Pass, and for locals who are blacked out, it will air on FanDuel Southeast via the FD Sports Network App.

How does our Charlotte Hornets On SI Staff see tonight's game playing out?:

Owen Watterson: Heat 106, Hornets 99

This game scares me, given the way Charlotte has been playing defensively over the last seven days. Miami is playing its best basketball of the season of late, and matches up with the Hornets as well as anyone in the NBA.

Bam Adebayo is a nightmare for Moussa on the glass and neutralizes him better than anyone else in the league. The Heat have the three-point shooters to match the Hornets' best shooting night, if that happens. I just have a gut feeling about this game that I can't shake. Charlotte gets swept by Miami 4-0, and the hunt to overtake their Southeast division foes continues to another year… or perhaps, the play-in tournament.

Zachary Roberts: Heat 119, Hornets 117

The Heat have been surging lately, and the Hornets have come back down to earth. Andrew Wiggins is out, and Bam Adebayo is questionable. If he doesn't play, the Hornets can definitely win. If he plays, the Heat will have two weapons to use against the Hornets in Adebayo and Tyler Herro, the man who seemingly can't miss when facing Charlotte. This is a big game that the Hornets need to win, but I suspect their clutch-time woes will come back tonight.

Owen O'Connor: Heat 110, Hornets 118

I think the Hornets will finally overcome Miami tonight, taking down a surging Heat squad. Bam Adebayo is doubtful for tonight’s matchup, and he was a key factor in Miami’s win the last time the two teams faced off. I would expect a bounce-back game from the Hornets, especially from Brandon Miller, who went just 2/14 last game.

Albert Böttcher: Heat 108, Hornets 121

With Andrew Wiggins ruled out and Bam Adebayo downgraded to doubtful, this has become a must-win game for the Hornets. I'm still not overly confident, considering how inconsistent and at times checked out LaMelo and Co. looked on their recent West Coast road trip. But this is a home game against a Heat squad that beat them in pretty devastating fashion not even two weeks ago; that's probably as much motivation as you can ask for in the regular season.

Schuyler Callihan: Heat 110, Hornets 115

The Heat have had Charlotte's number for a long, long time, but I think they sting back tonight. Something about that last loss didn't sit right with this group, and I expect a heightened level of focus on the defensive end of the floor, particularly in their coverage of Tyler Herro and Jaime Jacquez. Charlotte is a little slow out of the gate, but a big night from Kon Knueppel powers the Hornets to a 1-0 start in the 7-game homestand.

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