Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Charlotte Hornets Picks and Predictions, Wednesday, January 21st, 2026
Use Code WWWC The Cleveland Cavaliers (24-20) and the Charlotte Hornets (16-27) will face off in an Eastern Conference showdown on national television on Wednesday in this Cavaliers vs. Hornets prediction. These teams have split their two games so far this season, with each team winning one game in Cleveland. After this matchup, they will play one more game in February to close the season series. Tipoff is set for 7:00 EST and can be found on ESPN. Keep reading to see our Cavaliers vs. Hornets prediction, and make some money off our best NBA Picks.
Cleveland Deals with Injuries
The Cleveland Cavaliers continue to fight in the Eastern Conference, but will have to keep fighting without Darius Garland as he is out with a toe injury. The Cavaliers just hosted the Thunder in their last game, and came away with an ugly loss as they fell 136-104 on their home floor. Donovan Mitchell finished with 19 points, but struggled in the first half as he only made two shot attempts, and was not able to lead his team to a victory.
Mitchell is the top scorer for Cleveland, and has been one of the most underrated guards in the league over the past few years. So far this season he is averaging 29.0 PPG and 5.7 APG, leading the Cavaliers in both categories. He has been relatively quiet as of late, as he has scored under 20 in each of his last two games. Cleveland will be without Darius Garland, as he will miss another game here. This makes Evan Mobley their next top scorer, the 24-year old athletic big man is averaging 17.8 PPG and 8.6 RPG in the post.
De'Andre Hunter has been an excellent addition on the wing, he his getting 14.1 PPG on the wing, with Jaylon Tyson stepping up as a 13.4 PPG scorer. Cleveland is ranked 2nd in offensive efficiency and 9th in defensive efficiency according to dunksandthrees.com. The Cavaliers play fast, ranking 6th in the league in possessions per game.
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Hornets Hit National Television
The Charlotte Hornets have been one of the bottom teams in the league over the past few seasons, which has led to fewer nationally televised games along the way. The Hornets now have a chance to prove their worth in the league, as they will be playing on ESPN against one of the top teams in the East. In their last game, the Hornets were led by Brandon Miller with 23 points in a win over the Nuggets.
Miller has been a solid forward for the Hornets this season, while focusing more on his outside shooting rather than attacking the rim. The 23-year old 6'9 forward still has plenty of potential, and is second on the team in scoring with his 19.8 PPG. Charlotte is still led by LaMelo Ball, as their star point guard is getting 19.9 PPG and 7.6 APG to lead the team in both categories. Miles Bridges is a strong forward contributing another 19.1 PPG and 6.4 RPG.
Charlotte is a perimeter focused team, and have another perimeter scorer in Kon Knueppel, as the rookie is getting 19.0 PPG while primarily being an outside shooter. Charlotte is currently ranked 8th in offensive efficiency and 23rd in defensive efficiency. They play slower than the Cavs, ranking 21st in the league in possessions per game.
Injury Report for Cavaliers vs. Hornets:
Cavaliers:
- Out: Darius Garland, Max Struss, Sam Merrill
Hornets:
- Out: Mason Plumlee
Cavaliers vs. Hornets Picks and Predictions
Spread pick for Cavaliers vs. Hornets
- Cavaliers to cover (5 units)
This is not the spot to face the Cavaliers. Charlotte will be playing one of their rare games on national television, but Cleveland is used the to attention, and it will be just another game for Cleveland which will result in a cover. Other than that angle, Charlotte is a perimeter based team, who is short a Plumlee and wants their guards to be able to carry the team to a win. This will not work against Cleveland, as Mobley and Allen will overpower and out-skill the Charlotte bigs, and Mitchell will be the best player on the floor. Cleveland rolls easily here.
Take the Cavaliers to win and cover.
Over/Under Pick for Cavaliers vs. Hornets
- Over (4 units)
The Charlotte Hornets play fast, and they only have one angle to try to compete in this game, which is playing even faster than usual. The Hornets top four scorers are all guards, and they will look to try to push the tempo against Mobley and Allen in this game, beating them to the bucket in transition. On the other side, Charlotte has a weak defense, which will become a problem as they try to slow down the scoring of Donovan Mitchell. All signs point to a high scoring game here.
Take the over.
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