| Game Time | 1:00 pm EST |
| Cleveland Cavaliers Line | -11.5 |
| Charlotte Hornets Line | +11.5 |
| Total | 221 |
| TV: | NBA TV |
The best team of the East and of the whole NBA is facing the third-worse team of the East, as the Cleveland Cavaliers are visiting the Charlotte Hornets. The Cavs went back on track after back-to-back losses against the Hawks and have now won three straight games since then. On the other hand, the Hornets have been struggling and are now playing without their star player LaMello Ball, and as a result they have lost seven consecutive games.
Below is a detailed analysis for Cleveland Cavaliers vs Charlotte Hornets game.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Charlotte Hornets Prediction
Charlotte Hornets Injury Report: Miles Bridges is day-to-day, LaMello Ball, Tre Mann and Grant Williams are out.
Cleveland Cavaliers Injury Report: Craig Porter is day-to-day, Emoni Bates and Max Strus are out
Charlotte Hornets Recent Form and Trends
The Charlotte Hornets have a 6-16 record this season and are sitting on the 13th place of the East. The Hornets are 13-9 against the spread and 9-12-1 in over/under. Charlotte is 5-8 at home but 8-5 against the spread, with a -2.2-point differential. The Hornets are 1-9 in their last 10 games, but 6-3 against the spread in their last 9. Under is 4-2 in their last 6 games.
The Hornets are coming off a 101-125 loss in New York, as they got torched by the Knicks, who shot with 54% from the field and 55% from beyond the arc. Brandon Miller led Charlotte’s offense with 26 points with 5 triples, 6 rebounds and 3 assists.
LaMello Ball leads the Hornets both in scoring with 31.1 points, and in assists made with 6.9, adding 5.4 rebounds per game, but he is out with an injury. Brandon Miller adds 21.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists.
Cleveland Cavaliers Recent Form and Trends
The Cavaliers have a 20-3 record this season and are sitting on the first place of the East. They are 17-6 against the spread and 14-9 in over/under. Cleveland has a 7-2 road record, but 6-3 against the spread with a +6.7-point differential. The Cavaliers are 5-2 in their last 7 games and are 8-2 against the spread in their last 10. Under is 3-1 in their last 4 games.
The Cavaliers are coming off a 126-114 win over Denver, as they shot with 50% from the field and 46% from downtown. The Cavs saw four of their players scoring 20+ points, led by Donovan Mitchell with 28 with 6 triples and 6 assists.
Mitchell leads the Cavaliers in scoring with 24.5 points, adding 4.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. Darius Garland adds 20.5 points and a team-high 6.6 assists per game.
Statistical Breakdown
Offensively, the Hornets average 107 points per game, which is just 27th in the NBA. They have the worst field goal percentage in the league, with just 42.6%, while they shoot with 36.4% from beyond the arc (15th). Defensively, the Hornets allow 112.6 points per game, which is 15th in the league.
Offensively, the Cavaliers lead the league with 122 points per game. The Cavs boast the best percentages both in field goals, with 50.9%, and in 3-pointers, with 40.5%. Defensively, they rank 12th in the NBA, allowing 111.4 points per game.
In their previous meeting earlier this season, the Cavs won 128-114 at home. Cleveland is 5-3 in their last 8 meetings against Charlotte. Over is 7-1 in their last 8 meetings.
Prediction
In this Cleveland Cavaliers vs Charlotte Hornets Prediction, the Cavaliers are coming as road favorites. The Cavs are back on track after two surprise defeats by Atlanta, and have a perfect opportunity for an easy win today. The Hornets are struggling mightily this season, even with Ball on the lineup, and they score 15 points per game less than the Cavaliers. Cleveland won their previous meeting this season by 14 points and six of their last seven wins have been by double digits. I expect a dominant win by the Cavaliers today, so pick the Cleveland Cavaliers and lay the points on the road.
Nick’s Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers -11.5