Hornets vs Magic

Paolo Banchero and the Magic roll in on a one-game win streak with a 10-4 home record, facing a Hornets group that has also won one straight but is still just 3-12 on the road and 9-20 overall. Orlando already handled Charlotte 123-107 in their first meeting, when Franz Wagner dropped 21 and Collin Sexton led the Hornets with 19, and even with Franz and Moritz Wagner out plus Jalen Suggs and Goga Bitadze on the injury report, the Magic can still lean on Desmond Bane, Anthony Black and their size to bother LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges. Charlotte’s own health issues (Grant Williams out, Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kalkbrenner banged up) thin out an already shaky frontcourt, which is a bad recipe against Banchero and Orlando’s elite defensive rebounding. At -260 the price is steep, but given the home/road splits, recent form and prior head-to-head result, backing the Magic moneyline earns a B grade as a solid confidence play with better value as a parlay anchor than a lone straight bet. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 26/12/2025 09:39

LaMelo Ball’s return has fueled Charlotte’s lone-game win streak and boosted the offense, but over the last 10 games the Hornets are still hovering around 114.6 scored and 116.2 allowed, while Orlando’s own 5-5 stretch with a one-game win streak sits near 113 for and 116.4 against—totals that cluster right around this 230.5 number. Their earlier matchup finished 123-107 (230 total), and this time both rotations are dinged: the Magic are missing scoring and spacing from Franz and Moritz Wagner and may not have Suggs at full strength, while Charlotte is without Grant Williams and relying heavily on perimeter shot-making from LaMelo, Kon Knueppel and Sexton. Orlando’s strong 10-4 home profile is driven as much by defensive rebounding and pace control as by huge offensive numbers, which can drag tempo down if the Magic keep the Hornets off the offensive glass. With the market already inflated to 230.5 at -110 and several key scorers either out or limited, I lean to Under 230.5 at -110, grading it a C+ because one hot three-point stretch from either side could still push this over. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 26/12/2025 09:39

Miles Bridges fronts a Hornets squad that has snapped its latest skid with a one-game win streak, but that doesn’t erase a 3-12 road mark or the 16-point home loss they already suffered to Orlando, who ride their own one-game win streak and a 10-4 home record into this rematch. Even with Franz Wagner, Moritz Wagner and possibly Jalen Suggs sidelined or limited, the Magic can still deploy Banchero, Bane and Black to relentlessly attack a front line missing Grant Williams and leaning on a banged-up Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kalkbrenner. In the first meeting, Franz’s 21 points and Orlando’s length clearly bothered Sexton and the Charlotte guards; now LaMelo is back to raise the Hornets’ ceiling, but Charlotte’s defensive lapses and propensity to give up big runs make it tough to trust them to stay inside two or three possessions for 48 minutes. Given Orlando’s matchup edges on the glass, their superior depth even shorthanded, and their strong home profile, I’m laying the points with Magic -6 at -110 and grading it a B-, acknowledging that LaMelo’s shot-making and late-game variance always leave the backdoor open. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 26/12/2025 09:39