NBA Play-in Tournament Best Bets: Hornets vs. Magic Odds & Player Props (April 17)

As disappointing as the loss to the Philadelphia 76ers was for the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night, the season isn’t over for them just yet. They’ll get one more chance to earn a spot in the first round of the NBA playoffs when they host the Charlotte Hornets Friday night at the Kia Center in the final Eastern Conference play-in tournament game.

Charlotte has certainly proved that it will not go down without a fight after winning a close one in overtime vs. the Miami Heat on Tuesday night, 127-126. A date with the Detroit Pistons in the first round awaits the victor, but who will it be? Let’s take a look at the NBA play-in tournament odds and see if we can figure that out.

(Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)

2026 NBA Play-In Tournament Best Bets: Charlotte Hornets vs. Orlando Magic Odds & Prediction

• Spread: Charlotte Hornets -3.5 (-105) | Orlando Magic +3.5 (-115)
• Moneyline: Charlotte Hornets -160 | Orlando Magic +135
• Total: O/U 218.5 (-110/-110)

Odds via bet365

The NBA fined LaMelo Ball for tripping Bam Adebayo in Tuesday’s game, but that hasn’t stopped media pundits from offering one lukewarm take after another about the Hornets star. Lost, of course, in all the bluster is one very important fact: Charlotte is a really good team.

Yes, Ball is a very big piece of the puzzle. But he is far from the only important piece. He is the second-leading scorer on the team at 20.1 points per game (Brandon Miller is first at 20.2). However, Ball is one of six players averaging in the teens or higher for Charlotte.

To be fair, Orlando has five such players, including three who average 20+ points (Paolo Banchero (22.2 ppg), Franz Wagner (20.6 ppg), and Desmond Bane (20.1 ppg)), so that may not be an advantage for the Hornets.

However, it proves that the team does not live or die based on how Ball plays. Charlotte will certainly need him and the rest of the roster to bring their A+ game to win. But despite being the lower seed and on the road, the Hornets are the betting favorite to win.

The key to the game, of course, will be their defense. Over the last 10 games, Charlotte has had the second-best defense in the league, according to defensive rating (106.6). It has held opponents to 107.2 points and 38.2 rebounds per game.

But Orlando’s defense may also be the last thing the Hornets want to see. Charlotte averages a league-high 49.2 points per game from 3-point range. Orlando has held opponents to 36.2 points per game from 3-point range and 35.3% shooting.

My Pick: Charlotte -3.5 (-105 | bet365)

The Charlotte team Orlando faced and beat, 123-107, in the first matchup was not the same one it faced in the other three games. In that game (Oct. 30), Charlotte focused more on scoring in the paint, which it didn’t have the personnel to do against Orlando. It attempted only 30 3-pointers, making 11.

But by the time they met again, the Hornets had figured a few things out on the defensive end and were shooting 3-pointers like they were going out of style. After watching the 76ers have a solid night from 3-point range in their win over Orlando Wednesday night, the Hornets will likely stick with the same formula.

As the old saying goes: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

NBA Play-In Tournament Best Bets: Hornets vs. Magic Player Props

• Kon Knueppel, UNDER 16.5 Points: -105 (bet365)

The Rookie of the Year candidate has averaged 18.5 points per game this season, but it has been a while since he’s gone over 16.5 points, let alone 18.5. He had a dreadful 2-for-12 night (0 for 6 from 3-point range) against the Heat and scored six points. Kon Knueppel has missed this mark in his last five games and in 10 of his last 15. He went over it once in four games vs. Orlando during the regular season.

With how well LaMelo Ball is shooting, the Hornets are probably not concerned about Knueppel breaking out of his slump.

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• LaMelo Ball, OVER 37.5 Pts + Reb + Ast: -120 (bet365)

Ball has certainly been playing his best when it matters most for the Charlotte Hornets of late. While his 3-point shooting gets much of the attention, he’s been turning in all-around solid games, recording 11+ combined rebounds and assists in his last eight games and 13+ in six of them.

Factor in his 24 points per game over that stretch and he is almost averaging over this total for his last eight. But he has gone over it in four of his last five game, totaling 40+ in each. He did not go over it against Orlando during the regular season, but I’m willing to bet the LaMelo we’ve seen in recent games will show up tonight.

•  Paolo Banchero, UNDER 35.5 Pts + Reb + Ast: -110 (bet365)

Banchero had 20 points in the win over Charlotte and 23 in one of the losses. His per-game scoring average was down in April’s regular-season games (18.9 points per game). But Banchero has proved he is capable of more (24.9 points per game in March and 24.6 in January). So, he could easily go over his points total (22.5 points). That is why I like this combo instead. To go over the total, he’ll need to have an all-around solid game against the Hornets. With how the Hornets' defense has been playing, I don’t see that happening.

Banchero has gone over this total once in his last four games, three times in his last eight, and once in four games vs. Charlotte.