The Charlotte Hornets (7-26) travel to face off against the Cleveland Cavaliers (30-4) on Sunday, January 5th. This game will be played at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland and televised on FDSO. The Cavaliers are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Hornets are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Hornets. Tip-off is set for 6:00 ET.

Hornets vs Cavaliers

The Hornets Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Hornets fell to 7-26 on the season after a 98-94 road loss to the Pistons on Friday. Charlotte entered the game as +7.5 point underdogs but managed to keep it close. The total points for the game were 192, well below the 215.5 O/U line.

Charlotte started strong, leading 65-52 at halftime, but a poor 3rd quarter saw them outscored 32-17. They entered the 4th quarter trailing 84-82 and were held to just 12 points in the final period.

The Cavaliers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Cavaliers improved to 30-4 on the season with a 134-122 road win over the Mavericks on Friday. Cleveland, favored by -9.5 points, covered the spread, and the game’s total of 256 points exceeded the O/U line of 226.5 by 29.5 points.

A pivotal 20-0 run by the Cavaliers turned a 21-20 lead into a commanding 41-20 advantage. Cleveland led 100-85 entering the 4th quarter, and though the Mavericks outscored them 37-34 in the final period, the Cavaliers’ early dominance secured the win.

Hornets Offense Breakdown

The Hornets struggled offensively in their 98-94 loss to the Pistons, shooting just 41.2% from the field and 30% from three-point range, making only 9 threes. Miles Bridges led the way with 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists, despite shooting 31.2% from the floor.

Mark Williams added 18 points and 9 rebounds, hitting 58.3% of his shots. Bridges scored 7 points in both the 1st and 2nd quarters, while Williams added 8 of his points in the 2nd.

Cavaliers Offense Breakdown

Evan Mobley powered the Cavaliers to a 134-122 win over the Mavericks, shooting 66.7% from the field and hitting 3 threes at 50% efficiency. Mobley scored 18 of his 34 points in the 2nd quarter, adding 10 rebounds and 4 assists. Caris LeVert contributed 17 points, while Darius Garland added 16 points and 9 assists.

Cleveland shot 53.1% from the field, making 15 threes at a 37.5% rate. Donovan Mitchell and Georges Niang each scored 15 points, with Mitchell adding 7 in the 1st quarter. Jarrett Allen also had a strong finish, scoring 6 of his 11 points in the 4th quarter.

Hornets Team Defense

Even with a strong defensive effort, the Hornets couldn’t secure the win, allowing 98 points on 41% shooting from the Pistons. Charlotte gave up 26 points in both the 1st and 2nd quarters, 32 in the 3rd, but tightened up in the 4th, allowing just 14 points.

The Hornets held Detroit to 32% from three, with 12 made threes, and sent them to the line 13 times, where they hit 8 free throws. Charlotte grabbed 36 defensive rebounds, but allowed 14 offensive boards, while also recording 8 steals and 6 blocks.

Cavaliers Team Defense

Despite a strong defensive effort, the Hornets couldn’t secure the win, allowing 98 points to the Pistons. Charlotte gave up 26 points in both the 1st and 2nd quarters, then 32 in the 3rd, but they tightened up in the 4th, allowing just 14 points. Overall, they held Detroit to 41% shooting.

The Hornets limited the Pistons to 12 made threes on 32% shooting from beyond the arc. They also sent Detroit to the line 13 times, where the Pistons made 8 free throws. Charlotte finished with 8 steals and 6 blocks.

Hornets vs Cavaliers Trends

• In their last ten games away from home, the Hornets have a straight up record of 1-9 while going 5-5 vs. the spread. The team averaged 107 points per game in this stretch.
• Through their last ten home contests, the Cavaliers offense has averaged 120 points per game while allowing an average of 113. Cleveland posted an overall record of 7-3 while going 7-3 ATS.
• Going back to their previous three games as the underdog, Charlotte has an ATS mark of 2-1 while going 0-3 straight up.
• As the betting favorite, the Cavaliers have an ATS mark of just 7-3 in their last ten games. Cleveland posted a straight up mark of 9-1 in these matchups.

Hornets vs Cavaliers Prediction

The Hornets come in as the underdog at +15.5, making them our top choice on the point spread. We not only expect them to cover the spread but also believe they have a strong chance of winning the game outright, especially if you’re aiming for a higher moneyline payout.

As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 222.5, and our model projects the Hornets and Cavaliers to reach a combined total of 264 points. Our bet is on taking the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.