NBA Betting Picks April 10 – Orlando Magic at Charlotte Hornets
Only one playoff spot remains in the entire NBA as the season hits its endpoint on Wednesday.
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The one team on the outside looking in is the Charlotte Hornets, who need to beat the Orlando Magic and root for a Detroit loss in order to qualify for the postseason for the first time in three years. A playoff drought of seven years was ended by the Magic earlier in the week and they can ascend up the standings with a win, so don’t expect them to roll over when the Southeast Division rivals hook up.
Orlando Magic at Charlotte Hornets
Date and Time: Wednesday, April 10, 2019, 8 p.m. ET
Location: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
Opening NBA Odds: Check Back Later
Magic at Hornets TV Coverage: ESPN
Odds Analysis
The Magic have been through a lot over the past seven years; a lot of coaches, a lot of players and a lot of losses. And during that span they failed to play a postseason game. Cluttered among a pack of teams in the middle of the Eastern Conference, Orlando needed to separate itself from the field in order to break the seven-year spell, and the Magic obliged by winning 10 of their last 12 games, overtaking the rest of the Southeast to claim their first division crown since 2009-10. Orlando is currently tied with Brooklyn for the sixth-seed
Charlotte has enjoyed a nice run to close out the season and the Hornets are hopeful it’s enough to get them back to the playoffs. They need some help on the final day of the season, however. The Hornets have won four straight and eight of their last 11 games after routing the Cavs 124-97 on Tuesday. It still may not be enough since the Hornets don’t control their destiny. First off they need a win, which is something they’ve done 13 times in the last 14 meetings with Orlando. The Hornets hold the tie-breaker over Detroit, but trail the Pistons by a game with one left for both squads.
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Magic
Orlando has locked up a playoff berth and the Southeast title, but don’t tell Steve Clifford this game doesn’t mean anything. The former Hornets’ boss who is in his first year with the Magic would like nothing better than to end Charlotte’s playoff hopes. And the Magic are playing outstanding basketball at the time when it’s most important. Clinching a playoff spot for the first time since 2012, the Magic did it the hard way by winning in Boston.
Like they’ve done all season, it was a team effort with three players scoring at least 24 points and five players reaching double figures. Nikola Vucevic is playing perhaps the best basketball of his career and posted another double-double with 25 points and 12 rebounds against the Celtics. Vucevic leads the team with 20.8 points and 12.0 rebounds per game. While the offense has produced points recently, the Magic maintain a top-5 defense while holding opponents to below 35 percent shooting from distance.
Hornets
At least the Hornets aren’t going down without a fight and being in the hunt for a playoff spot on the final day of the season is about all they could ask for. They need assistance to get in, though. But it all starts with their game against the Magic, and there is reason for optimism since Charlotte has won 13 of the last 14 meetings between the clubs. Or if you want to be the glass is half empty guy, you could say they lost the last game and did so by 38 points. That last matchup was nearly two months ago, however.
Charlotte has been in a must-win situation for a few weeks now, and the Hornets responded by taking down Cleveland for their fourth straight win. All they can do is take care of their own business and that includes making sure there isn’t a repeat of the Valentine’s Day massacre when they were blownout 127-89 in Orlando on Feb. 14. This could also be a bittersweet moment for leading scorer Kemba Walker, who has been mentioned to be playing elsewhere next season.
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With the top four teams stealing the thunder in the East, there isn’t much left for the Magic and Hornets. And, let’s be honest, these aren’t sexy franchises that broadcast partners want on the air. So, we have a rarity on Wednesday only because there are playoff implications, but if that’s what it takes so be it. There will be an intense feel to this one with plenty at stake for both sides. But the Hornets absolutely need this game for a chance at the second season. With Walker keeping his emotions in check, the Hornets do what they have to do. We’ll see if they get the help they need.
NBA Score Prediction: Hornets 109, Magic 103
