The Cleveland Cavaliers (43-27) visit the Charlotte Hornets (22-48) on Tuesday night! Action tips off at 7:10 p.m. ET. Below we continue our NBA odds series with a Cavaliers-Hornets prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Cleveland has won four of their last five games and sits in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers covered 54% of their games while 51% went over the projected point total. Charlotte has lost two straight games and remains in 14th place in the East. The Hornets covered 46% of their games while 56% went under. This will be the third of four meetings between the conference foes. Cleveland holds a 2-0 advantage thus far including Sunday's 114-108 road victory.
Here are the Cavaliers-Hornets NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Cavaliers-Hornets Odds
Cleveland Cavaliers: -6 (-110)
Charlotte Hornets: +6 (-110)
Over: 222 (-110)
Under: 222 (-110)
How To Watch Cavaliers vs. Hornets
TV: Bally Ohio, Bally Southeast
Stream: NBA League Pass
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET/ 4:00 p.m. PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Cavaliers Could Cover The Spread
Cleveland has had a breakout season thanks to their lockdown defense. The Cavaliers allow the fewest points per game in the NBA – something that will absolutely come into play against Charlotte's poor offense. That being said, the Cavaliers will be without both Jarrett Allen and Donovan Mitchell tonight which could play a huge factor in their ability to cover the spread. While most teams would be crushed with those two impact guys out, Cleveland is fortunate enough to have another set of a guard and big that should be able to step up and take on larger workloads both offensively and defensively.
With Mitchell out, look for Darius Garland to take on an even larger role for the Cavaliers. Garland finds himself in the midst of a stellar season, averaging 22.1 PPG and 7.9 APG. He has made great strides as a defensive player thanks to 1.3 steals per game. Perhaps Garland's best offensive traits are his shooting and playmaking. The 23-year-old averages 2.6 threes per game while shooting 42% from beyond the arc. As far as the playmaking is concerned, Garland has cemented himself as one of the premier floor generals in the NBA thanks to dishing out the seventh-most assists in the league. Garland projects to continue his strong play tonight thanks to the favorable matchup. In two prior meetings with the Hornets this season Garland averaged 34.5 PPG and 6.0 APG while shooting 52% overall.
For as good as Garland has been this year, the buzz around Cleveland continues to revolve around the development of Evan Mobley. The 6'11” forward impressed as a rookie last year, narrowly losing the Rookie of the Year award. While he hasn't exploded statistically as the third (sometimes fourth) option in Cleveland, the 21-year-old flashes his sky-high potential on a nightly basis. For the season, Mobley averages 16 PPG and 8.9 RPG. Still a key cog in their top-ranked defense, Mobley's offensive numbers have bumped to 17.8 PPG and 9.1 RPG since the All-Star break. Like Garland, Mobley has found prior success against the Hornets this season – averaging 19.5 PPG and 13.5 RPG in two prior matchups.
Why The Hornets Could Cover The Spread
Charlotte sits in the cellar of the Eastern Conference as they are creeping toward being the fourth team to be mathematically eliminated from the playoff race. With that, Charlotte's season is essentially over considering they sit 10.5 games back of the final play-in spot. The Hornets have been crippled by injuries all season long as they are now relying on a barrage of misfit veterans to get them to the finish line. That being said, those veterans have plenty of experience and can still bring it with an occasional big performance.
Firstly, forward Kelly Oubre Jr. has been very impressive in recent games. In nine games since the All-Star break, Oubreleads the team with 21.2 PPG. He is shooting 45% of that span while serving as a sharpshooter from beyond the arc. With 2.7 threes per game on 41% shooting, Oubre is absolutely the kind of player who can get hot and carry the Hornets to cover tonight. Considering he missed Sunday's loss to the Cavaliers but is probable tonight, expect Oubre to come out firing with 24-point games in four of his last five games.
Furthermore, Gordon Hayward has also been an all-around contributor in recent games. Since the All-Star break, Hayward has averaged 16.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 5.1 APG. After drooling 16-4-6 in their Sunday loss, expect Hayward to continue to produce with Cleveland down a few players.
Final Cavaliers-Hornets Prediction & Pick
Charlotte blew a 16-point lead in their Sunday loss to Cleveland and now the Cavaliers are down Mitchell and the Hornets get Oubre back. Hammer the home dogs.
Final Cavaliers-Hornets Prediction & Pick: Charlotte Hornets +6 (-110)
Follow Us
Subscribe