Hornets vs Magic

Orlando leans on Paolo Banchero, Desmond Bane and a 10-4 home record to justify the Magic as sizable moneyline favorites despite missing Franz Wagner and likely Jalen Suggs, especially with Charlotte just 3-12 on the road and recently handled 123-107 in the first meeting this season. The Hornets are healthier at the top of the roster with LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges active, and both teams enter on modest one-game winning streaks, but Orlando’s size, defensive rebounding edge and history of Banchero torching Charlotte’s front line tilt this toward a straightforward home win rather than an upset at +210. At a steep -260 price with some injury volatility on the Magic side, this is more a solid “anchor” play than a premium value spot, so I grade Orlando moneyline a **B**. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 26/12/2025 09:58

Charlotte has been playing faster behind LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, but Orlando’s injury list — with Franz Wagner out and Suggs likely limited or sidelined — strips away a chunk of shot creation that helped produce 230 combined points in their October meeting, and the Magic’s third-in-the-East defensive rebounding plus a 10-4 home mark often drag games into more halfcourt-heavy battles. Both teams’ last-10 profiles sit right around this number, yet Orlando’s offensive ceiling is clearly lower without Wagner and Suggs, while the Hornets’ 3-12 road record and streaky perimeter shooting (even with Kon Knueppel’s recent barrage from deep) introduce clear downside to their scoring if the threes aren’t falling. With both sides on one-game win streaks and likely to lean a bit more on defense in a divisional spot, I like **Under 230.5** at -110 with a **B+** grade. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 26/12/2025 09:58

Paolo Banchero’s all-around impact and Orlando’s strong 10-4 home record make the Magic rightful favorites, but with Charlotte coming in on a one-game win streak of its own and much closer to full strength than the shorthanded Magic, catching +6 feels like a reasonable way to back the Hornets’ playmaking depth. Orlando is down Franz Wagner and Moritz Wagner with Jalen Suggs and Goga Bitadze on the injury report, while Charlotte’s main absences (Grant Williams plus some frontcourt depth) are less central than the healthy core of LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges and Collin Sexton, who already put up 19 in the first meeting. Orlando dominated that October matchup and owns the season series lead, but with the Magic’s primary wing scorers and key guard in question, I expect a more competitive game where Charlotte’s shot creation and improved bench can keep this inside two or three possessions, so I’m taking **Hornets +6** at -110 with a **B** grade. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 26/12/2025 09:58