Orlando Magic vs Charlotte Hornets Prediction: Charlotte to win

Another game day in the NBA is filled with principled confrontations. Steve Clifford, who now leads Charlotte, used to lead Orlando, though the Magic have changed drastically since his tenure. Can the Hornets win?

Paolo Banchero missed the last two regular-season games due to injury, but even so, the Magic defeated alternating playoff contenders Dallas and Phoenix to move up to 13th place in the Eastern Conference. Banchero is not known for his defensive prowess, so it's no surprise that Jamahl Mosley's team defeated two playoff contenders on defense. No one on the team averaged more than 20 points over the two-game stretch, although Bol Bol, Wendell Carter Jr., Franz Wagner and Mo Bamba all made at least half of their shots off the bench. Banchero's participation in the game with the Hornets is questionable, with Markelle Fultz, Jonathan Isaac, Gary Harris, Moritz Wagner and Cole Anthony still unavailable.

Last regular-season game, Jamahl Mosley's team defeated Phoenix, 114-97. Chris Paul and Cam Johnson didn't play for their opponent, which still made things easier for Orlando. Bench players had decent three-point shots on the night, and Ball and Wendell Carter combined for a nice shooting percentage. The team did not run on fast breaks and tried to slow down the pace. Overall, the Magic defended well under the basket, something they have done on a regular season basis.

The Hornets have suffered 8 straight losses in the regular season, and currently sit last in the Eastern Conference. Now comes the moment of truth for the team. Can they engage in playoff contention? LaMelo Ball is back in the lineup, and now the coach needs to somehow integrate one of his leaders into the game so the defense doesn't slump, since Dennis Smith Jr., who previously filled in for LaMelo, was very good primarily on his side. Gordon Hayward is still in the infirmary, the situation with the signing of Miles Bridges is still unclear and it's unlikely Charlotte should expect serious reinforcements in the near future.

Ball scored 15 points and had 6 assists in his first game of the season but Charlotte lost 115-122 to Miami. First of all, Lamelo missed 8 of 9 long-range shots, and Kelly Oubre and Terry Rozier were more effective in that regard. The defense at the arc has been banged up this time, though the Hornets have previously missed three-pointers at one of the lowest percentages in the league. Oubre and Rozier were the highest scorers on the team, scoring 20 and 22 points, respectively.

The Magic had a very bright game against Phoenix, but you can't expect the same stability from Suggs or Ball. If Banchero doesn't return to form, their offensive game could suffer. Charlotte's defense is very stout and even with their best effort, the visitors can trouble their opponents. LaMelo Ball should gradually return to form and Terry Rozier could pull in one as well. Yes, the Hornets already lost to Orlando by 20 points this season, but they did not have Rozier or Ball on their roster at the time. That should be a different story now. Our prediction for the Orlando vs Charlotte game is as follows:

• H2 (+2.5) for 1.796;
• W2 (incl. OT) for 1.95;
• TO (223.5) for 1.85.

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