Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Amway Center

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The Charlotte Hornets travel to Amway Center to play the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, March 22, 2017. The opening line for this matchup has Charlotte as 3.5 point favorites.

The Hornets come into this game with an overall record of 31-39. They are 4th in the Southeast Division. They currently have a point differential of 0.8 as they are averaging 104.8 points per game while giving up 104.0 per contest. The Magic have an overall record of 26-45. They currently are 5th in the Southeast Division. They are averaging 100.1 points per game and surrendering 106.5, good for a point differential of -6.4.

Valuable Charlotte Hornets Betting Trends

The Charlotte Hornets are 30-37-3 against the spread

The Charlotte Hornets are 33-37-0 against the over/under

Important Orlando Magic Betting Trends

The Orlando Magic are 28-41-2 against the spread

The Orlando Magic are 32-39-0 against the over/under

Key Charlotte Hornets Injuries

03/20/17 F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Ankle left last game, "?" Wednesday vs. Orlando
03/03/17 C Miles Plumlee Calf out indefinitely
02/06/17 PG Ramon Sessions Knee out indefinitely

Key Orlando Magic Injuries

No key injuries to report

Player Spotlight

Kemba Walker comes into this contest averaging 22.7 points per game while playing 34.5 minutes per night so far this season for the Hornets. He pulls down 4 rebounds per game and dishes out 5.5 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 45% while his free throw percentage is currently at 85%. Nicolas Batum averages 14.9 points per game in 34.6 minutes per contest this season. He averages 6 assists per contest and 7.2 rebounds per game for Charlotte. His field goal percentage is 40% for the year while his free throw percentage is 84%.

For expert handicapping advice on this matchup and other NBA games check out our handicapping tips.

Player Spotlight

Nikola Vucevic averages 14.8 points per game while playing 28.8 minutes per contest this year for the Magic. He grabs 10.3 rebounds per game and has 2.7 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 47% and his free throw percentage currently is at 66%. Elfrid Payton averages 12.3 points per game this season and he sees the court an average of 29.1 minutes per contest. He also averages 4.5 rebounds per contest and 6 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 47% and his free throw percentage is 69%.

Useful Team Statistics

Charlotte averages 104.8 points per contest this season which ranks them 16th in the NBA. Their average scoring margin is 0.74 and their shooting percentage is 44% as a team which has them ranked 27th. Behind the arc they shoot 35% which is good for 20th in the league. They average 44.4 rebounds per game and 23.2 assists per game which ranks them 8th and 11th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 29th with 11.8 per game. The Hornets allow 104 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 9th in the league. They also allow a 45% shooting percentage and a 36% average from behind the arc ranking them 7th and 17th in those defensive categories. Opponents average 44.7 rebounds a game which ranks 23rd and they give up 24 assists per contest which puts them in 25th place in the league. They force 12.9 turnovers per game which ranks them 7th in the league.

Useful Team Statistics

Orlando averages 100.1 points per game this year which ranks them 29th in the league. Their average scoring margin is -6.37 and their shooting percentage is 44% as a team which has them sitting in the 29th spot in the league. Behind the arc they shoot 32% which is good for 30th in the NBA. They average 43.1 rebounds per game and 21.7 assists per contest which ranks them 20th and 19th respectively. In the turnover department the Magic rank 19th with 13.4 per game. The Magic allow 106.5 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 21st in the league. They also allow a 46% shooting percentage and a 37% average from behind the arc ranking them 25th and 23rd in those defensive statistics. Opponents average 45.3 rebounds a game which ranks 28th and they give up 23.3 assists per contest which puts them in 22nd place in the league. The Magic force 13.2 turnovers per game which ranks them 10th in the NBA.

Advanced Statistics

The Hornets have an offensive rating of 108.1 and a defensive rating of 107.3. In terms of pace they average 96.1 possessions per 48 minutes and their effective field goal percentage is 50%. As a team they have a true shooting percentage of 55% and they shoot 3 pointers on 33% of their shots. Charlotte turns the ball over an average of 10.9 times per 100 possessions and they force 11.9 on the defensive end. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the season currently is 51%.

Advanced Statistics

The Magic rating on offense is 103.3 and they have a defensive rating of 109.8. They get 96.4 possessions per 48 minutes and they have an effective field goal percentage of 49%. As a unit they have a true shooting percentage of 52% and they attempt 3 pointers on 30% of their shot attempts. Orlando turns the ball over on 12.2 out of every 100 possessions and their opponents average 12.2 turnovers per 100 possessions. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the year is 52%.

Who will win tonight's Hornets/Magic NBA game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take Orlando +3.5

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