Dec. 25, 2025, 10:49 p.m. CT
The Charlotte Hornets (10-20) and Orlando Magic (17-13) meet Friday at 7 p.m. ET at the Kia Center in Orlando, Florida. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NBA odds around the Hornets vs. Magic odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: Magic lead 1-0 with 123-107 road win Oct. 30
The Hornets beat the Washington Wizards 126-109 Tuesday, covering as an 8-point home favorite with the Over (229.5) cashing. G LaMelo Ball‘s 23 points led 8 players scoring in double figures for Charlotte, which is 3-2 straight up and 4-1 against the spread (ATS) in its last 5 games. The Hornets are 16-14 ATS on the season.
The Magic beat the Portland Trail Blazers 110-106 Tuesday, pushing as a 4-point road favorite as the Under (231.5) hit. Orlando was led by F Desmond Bane, who tallied 23 points on 6-for-15 shooting. The Magic have gone just 5-5 in December and are 1-8-1 ATS in that span. They are 12-17-1 ATS on the season.
Hornets at Magic odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 11:48 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Hornets +220 (bet $100 to win $225 | Magic -275 (bet $275 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Hornets +6.5 (-110) | Magic -6.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 231.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Hornets at Magic key injuries
Hornets
- C Ryan Kalkbrenner (elbow) out
- F Grant Williams (knee) out
Magic
- C Goga Bitadze (knee) questionable
- G Jalen Suggs (hip) doubtful
- G Franz Wagner (ankle) out
- C Mo Wagner (knee) out
For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.
Hornets at Magic picks and predictions
Prediction
Magic 115, Hornets 111
PASS.
Avoid this play. The Magic (-275) are too expensive to consider here, especially with how they’ve performed throughout December.
BET HORNETS +6.5 (-110).
The Magic are hard to trust, and they have struggled without Wagner on the court. They are 3-1 at home in December, but 1-3 ATS in those games, failing to really separate themselves by any sizable margin. Orlando is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games as a favorite.
The Hornets have been surging, and they’ve been solid as an underdog over the last few weeks. Charlotte is 6-2 ATS across its last 8 contests. It has scored at least 119 points in 5 of its last 6 games, so its offense should be able to keep things close.
Back HORNETS +6.5 (-110).
BET UNDER 231.5 (-110).
Both teams are trending toward the Under. The Magic are 3-6 O/U in their last 9 games, and they have scored 115 points or fewer in all but 3 of those games.
Charlotte is 4-10 O/U in its past 14 games. In that stretch of play, it is 1-6 O/U in road games. With that in mind, play UNDER 231.5 (-110).
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