Updated Odds Reveal Whether Charlotte Hornets are Playoff-Bound or Not

In the immortal words of Jim Mora, "Playoffs?!" That's right, it is late February, and the Charlotte Hornets are indeed talking about playoffs. Winning 13 of 17, including nine in a row, will get any team into that conversation.

But even after that scorching hot streak to close out the first half, the Hornets are three games under .500 and are the ninth seed in the East. They're not exactly positioned perfectly for a postseason run, so what do the odds say?

Odds suggest strong likelihood of a Hornets playoff series

Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams (2) grabs a rebound against the Atlanta Hawks | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

According to FanDuel, the Hornets have good odds of making the playoffs. In fact, the sportsbook believes it's a bit more likely that they will be playing in the postseason rather than sitting in the lottery.

The Hornets are -162 to make the playoffs straight up. They're +122 to miss out. The odds before the season were so much worse than that, so to even be at this stage is a huge step for the organization.

What does this mean? Does this mean the Hornets are going to sneak a top-six seed? Not likely. It's possible, but a much more plausible route is through the Play-In Tournament. The East, for all its shortcomings, is actually pretty close in quality to the West this year.

There are several teams in the 5-10 range. Only 6.5 games separate the 10 and five right now, so a lot can happen between now and the end of the season. There's likely to be a lot of shuffling, but the Hornets aren't in position to jump everyone.

However, since the Hornets are pretty clearly expected to make the playoffs, the odds essentially think they're a pretty good bet to win the Play-In Tournament. If they remain in the nine spot, they'll have to win two games, but if they can move up, they'll only need to win one.

Based on the recent success and the overall quality of the other teams in the Play-In Tournament now, one can see why the Hornets have such good postseason odds. Among the other Play-In teams, they have good odds:

Atlanta Hawks +220
Chicago Bulls +4000
Miami Heat -240
Milwaukee Bucks +1400
Orlando Magic -440

So for now, the Hornets trail the Heat and Magic, but they clearly have a really good shot at making it.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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