Magic vs. Hornets: 3 Best Bets
As the Orlando Magic hits the road after a three-game homestand, it will try to win four straight games for the first time since December. The Magic will travel north to take on the Charlotte Hornets and their red-hot rookie, Brandon Miller.
In Orlando's lone matchup with the Hornets this season, the Magic took home a comfortable victory. Miller's 20 points off the bench were not enough for the 30 dropped by Franz Wagner or Orlando's overall balanced plan of attack. Cole Anthony also contributed 30 points in the outing.
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The Magic have a clean injury report heading into the contest, but the Hornets will be without Mark Williams, LaMelo Ball, Cody Martin, and Seth Curry. Nick Richards is questionable.
Keep it posted here for our three best bets, powered by the odds at SI Sportsbook.
The Lines
Point spread: Hornets +8.5 (-110)/Magic -8.5 (-110)
Money line: Hornets (+290)/Magic (-400)
Over/under: 207.5
Our Picks
Safe pick: Franz Wagner OVER 19.5 points (-118)
Wagner dropped 30 points on Charlotte the last time these two teams played, but that was back in November so the takeaways from that distant game shouldn't be considered too much. What should be considered is that the Hornets allow the eighth most points in the league and Wagner--who has lost a step recently--can still post 20 points with ease.
Opponent pick: Brandon Miller UNDER 18.5 points (-120)
Who else will score for Charlotte if not Brandon Miller? Maybe Miles Bridges, but it seems likely that Orlando's defense will swarm the Hornets and will be held to a very low-scoring game by today's standards. Miller has been excellent recently, averaging 17.8 points over his last five, but Orlando's defense will prove to be a tough test.
Team parlay: Orlando -8.5 and OVER 207.5 total points (+280)
A small, two-leg parlay to round out our bets! Orlando won all three of its games by eight or more points, so covering against a bad team should be a breeze. The Hornets have lost their last four games, but they did cover this line in two of them. However, Orlando should make light work of the Hornets. Finally, even though we're expecting Charlotte's offense to struggle, a line of only 207.5 is laughable in today's NBA, even with Orlando's defense.
