Magic vs Hornets Picks, Predictions & Odds Tonight

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05 March 2024

Magic vs Hornets Picks, Predictions & Odds Tonight

Brandon Miller has shouldered an increased responsibility for the Hornets of late and has gradually warmed to the task. But our NBA betting picks believe the Magic will bring him back down to earth tonight.

The Charlotte Hornets are set to miss the NBA playoffs for the eighth straight year and while that near decade of ineptitude has led to plenty of lottery picks, the team is still waiting on a savior like the one the Orlando Magic stumbled into last year.

With Paolo Banchero and the Magic heading to Charlotte, Hornets fans will get a taste of what a blue-chip pick can do for a team when he’s able to stay healthy. Down LaMelo Ball for the 19th straight game, the NBA odds have the Hornets as 8.5-point underdogs.

Find out where my best bets lie in our NBA picks and predictions for Magic vs. Hornets on Tuesday, March 5.

Magic vs Hornets odds

Magic vs Hornets predictions

Since losing LaMelo Ball to yet another injury, the Charlotte Hornets have been relying more heavily on rookie Brandon Miller to generate offense alongside Miles Bridges. The second overall pick out of Alabama has seen an uptick in minutes as a result, playing at least 36 minutes in 10 of the last 18 games.

As a result, Miller’s been far more productive over those 18 games with nine performances of at least 20 points while averaging 19.7 points per game. That’s three more points per night than his season average of 16.7, but now he’ll find himself in one of the toughest matchups of his young career.

That impressive production in recent weeks has ballooned the Brandon Miller odds on his total points line against the Orlando Magic to 18.5, and he’s going to have a tough time getting to 19 against this defense. Orlando is fourth in the NBA in defensive rating and allowing the fifth-fewest points per game this season (109.9).

Its front court trio of Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter, and Franz Wagner will be able to give Miller all he can handle. Wagner will be his primary defender and has a respectable 108.5 defensive rating this season, helping the Magic slow opposing small forwards.

Orlando is holding small forwards to the sixth-fewest points per game this season (19.46) and has held opponents at any position to the fewest field goal attempts per game in the NBA (84.8). So not only will Miller have his hands full dealing with Wagner, but he’ll likely have fewer opportunities than he’s used to.

During this 18-game stretch where Miller has been more productive on the offensive end, he’s been both a more frequent and more consistent 3-point shooter, which has helped take his game up a notch. However, this Orlando defense is one of the best at defending behind the arc in the NBA this season.

Orlando is holding teams to the fourth-fewest 3-point attempts (32.6), fifth-fewest 3-point makes (11.6), and the ninth-worst 3-point percentage (35.7%) in the association. The Magic will make Miller — who has taken at least seven 3s in 12 of the last 18 games — earn those chances from deep.

While Miller has seen an uptick in production, he’s still seeing fewer minutes and shot attempts than Bridges, which could cloud his outlook against this Orlando defense. Bridges leads the Hornets in usage rate (24.1%), field goal attempts (17.7), and takes the most 3s of any player on the roster not named LaMelo (6.6).

A defense like Orlando’s takes away shot opportunities and with Bridges being the lead scorer on the Hornets, it will make it all the more difficult for Miller to continue his strong play against the Magic’s defense. The Alabama alum has scored fewer than 19 points in 35 of 54 games this season.

My best bet: Brandon Miller Under 18.5 points (-115 at bet365)

Magic vs Hornets same-game parlay

Brandon Miller Under 18.5 points

Paolo Banchero Over 20.5 points

Wendell Carter Over 8.5 rebounds

The emergence of Banchero as a young star in the NBA has transformed the Orlando Magic into a playoff team in the East. Last year’s Rookie of the Year is putting up 22.9 points per game and is coming off back-to-back 29-point performances.

His high-scoring play should continue against a Hornets defense that’s 23rd in the NBA in points per game (118) and ranks 27th in defensive rating. He’s gone for at least 21 points in 34 of 59 games this season.

Alongside Banchero in the front court, Carter Jr. has been a steady presence at center and while his rebounds per game are down this season (6.6), Charlotte is a team he can dominate the glass against. The Hornets are 28th in the NBA in rebounds per game (41) and allow the sixth-most rebounds per game to opponents (45.4).

Magic vs Hornets spread and Over/Under analysis

Between Charlotte’s struggles this season and Orlando turning a corner, the Magic opened as an 8.5-point road favorite and remain there with very little line movement.

No team has been better ATS this season than Jamahl Mosley’s with Orlando sitting atop the NBA at 40-21 and 7-3 in its last 10. On the other end of the spectrum, Charlotte has the third-worst ATS record in the NBA. The Hornets are 25-36, but 7-3 in the last 10. The Magic covered the 6.5-point spread the last time these two teams played in November.

With the Hornets’ offensive struggles and the Magic’s feisty defense, the game total opened at just 209.5 and continues to drop. Most books are now offering the game total between 207.5 and 208.

Neither of these teams have been a great Over bet this season with Orlando sitting 28-32-1 betting the Over and Charlotte at 29-32. In the previous matchup, with the total at 227.5, the Over did hit, but the Magic have gone Under in five straight games while the Hornets have hit the Under in nine of the last 11.