The Charlotte Hornets (30-33) visit Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse Wednesday to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers (36-25). Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Hornets vs. Cavaliers odds and lines, and make our expert NBA picks, predictions and bets.
The Cavaliers have failed to cover 5 straight games and have struggled since G Darius Garland went down with a back injury. Garland has missed the last 3 games.
Cleveland is 1-2 recently and 7-7 on the season without Garland. The Cavaliers are 34-25-2 against the spread (ATS) this season and 10-7-1 ATS as a home favorite.
Charlotte is also over .500 ATS, sitting 33-28-2, but just 15-18 on the road. As a road underdog, the Hornets are 13-12-1. They’ve gone 2-6-2 ATS in their last games.
Charlotte is led this season by G LaMelo Ball who is averaging 19.9 points and 7.4 assists per game.
Hornets at Cavaliers odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated 12:25 ET.
- Money line: Hornets +145 (bet $100 to win $145) | Cavaliers -180 (bet $180 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Hornets +4.5 (-115) | Cavaliers -4.5 (-107)
- Over/Under (O/U): 219.5 (O: -108 | U: -112)
Hornets at Cavaliers key injuries
Hornets
- F Jalen McDaniels (ankle) doubtful
- F Gordon Hayward (ankle) out
- G James Bouknight (neck) out
Cavaliers
- G Darius Garland (back) questionable
- G Caris LeVert (foot) out
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Hornets at Cavaliers odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Cavaliers 110, Hornets 106
Money line
PASS.
Cleveland at home has good value, especially considering its recent form and the fact it may get Garland back. I’d play the points as -180 just doesn’t give odds worth taking.
I would also wait to play either side of the Cavs spread until Garland’s status is announced. It seems the line has baked in a return for the All-Star guard.
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Against the spread
“LEAN” to the CAVALIERS -4.5 (-115).
This lean is assuming Garland does play.
Garland is such a key piece to this offense with G Collin Sexton out that I would stay away from the Cavs spread if he’s a scratch. The Cavs are 10.3 points per 100 possessions better than their opponent with him on the court.
The Cavaliers have some big-time advantages, one being on the glass. They rank 10th in offensive rebounding while the Hornets are 29th in defensive rebounding.
The Hornets currently are 17th in net rating which doesn’t compare favorable to Cleveland, as the Cavs four-best defense has it 7th in net rating. The better team at home is the one to back.
Over/Under
BET on the UNDER 219.5 (-112).
The Cavaliers have the fourth-best defensive rating, and the Hornets rank 6th in turnover rate. They’ll be able to keep possessions long while Cleveland’s length plays a factor in their shooting, which ranks 17th in the NBA.
James Williams, the crew chief is 21-21 O/U this season. With the Cavs 23-37-1, the second-best Under covering team in the NBA, this is a good play. Charlotte is also 30-32-1 O/U this season.
The Cavs rank 25th in pace as well and are 8-20-1 O/U as the home team.
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