Charlotte Hornets vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Free Prediction 01/02/20

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The Charlotte Hornets (13-23) head to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers (10-23). The Hornets are 2-point underdogs and look to snap their six-game losing streak. The game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 210 points and it will air on Fox Sports – Ohio at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 2, 2020.

Charlotte Hornets vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Odds

Both teams did not cover as underdogs in their last game. The Cavaliers (8-point underdogs) were defeated by the Toronto Raptors, 117-97, while the Hornets (7.5-point underdogs) fell to the Boston Celtics, 109-92. The Cleveland game went 4 points under the projected point total of 218, while the Charlotte game went 9 points under the projected point total of 210.

Charlotte did a great job of converting from the free throw line (12-16; 75.0 percent) while Cleveland had a better effective field goal percentage (0.483 vs. 0.577). Tristan Thompson had a solid game for Cleveland with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Miles Bridges had a solid performance for Charlotte, recording 14 points and 10 rebounds.

In their first matchup this year, Kevin Love led the Cavaliers to a 100-98 victory. He notched a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds. The two teams combined to score 198 points, which was under the projected point total of 212, and Cleveland was unable to cover as a 3-point favorite. Cleveland’s 0.176 free throw rate was their largest strength over Charlotte, who had a rate of 0.121.

Vegas is highly accurate when predicting totals of Hornets games, with an even split between overs and unders. Charlotte comes into the game with records of 13-23 straight up (SU) and 17-18-1 against the spread (ATS).

Vegas has typically been fairly accurate when setting the total of Cavaliers games, with 18 unders compared to 15 overs. Additionally, Cleveland is 10-23 SU and 14-17-2 ATS.

Getting to the line might be scarce for Cleveland in this meeting. The Cavaliers rank 25th in the NBA with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.178, while Charlotte ranks second in FTA rate allowed (0.164).

Hornets vs. Cavaliers Odds Pick

Free Prediction: SU Winner – Cavaliers, ATS Winner – Cavaliers, O/U – Under

Betting Notes:

  • The Cavaliers average 44.4 rebounds per game, which ranks 18th in the NBA. The Hornets rank 22nd in rebounds allowed per game (46.4).
  • Charlotte ranks third in fast break points allowed per game (11.8) while Cleveland ranks 26th (15.7).
  • The Hornets rank 14th in points off turnovers per game (17.2) while the Cavaliers rank 28th (13.8).
  • Charlotte ranks 16th in assists per game (23.7) while Cleveland ranks 27th (21.2).
  • Cleveland ranks 12th in second chance points per game (13.4) while Charlotte ranks 17th in second chance points allowed per game (13.3).
  • The Hornets rank 13th in blocks allowed per game (4.9) while the Cavaliers rank 28th (7.0).
  • The Hornets average 35.0 three pointers per game, which ranks ninth in the league. The Cavaliers rank 14th in three pointers allowed per game (33.4).
  • Charlotte averages 6.8 steals per game, which ranks 24th in the league. Cleveland ranks 27th in steals allowed per game (8.8).
  • Cleveland ranks 12th in points in the paint per game (47.7) while Charlotte ranks 26th in points allowed in the paint per game (51.1).
  • In games where they allow under 100 points, Cleveland is 4-3 and Charlotte is 3-0.
  • The Hornets are 11-13 when they reach the century mark, while the Cavaliers are 9-13.
  • Charlotte is 9-9 ATS on the road, while Cleveland is 7-8-1 ATS at home.
  • The Hornets have 11 overs and 7 unders in 18 road games.
  • Of the Cavaliers’ 16 home games, they have 10 unders and 6 overs.

Bettings Trends:

  • The Cavaliers are 4-1 ATS over their last five games, while the Hornets are 0-4-1.
  • In their last five games, Cleveland has 3 unders and 2 overs, while Charlotte has 3 overs and 2 unders.
  • The Cavaliers’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 3.2, down from 9.0 for the season.
  • During their last five games, the Hornets have scored an average of 99.6 points per game (4.2 below their season average) and allowed an average of 112.6 points per game (1.8 above their season average).