Cavaliers vs Hornets Odds, Spread & Predictions (Mar. 12)
- Cleveland is a 7.5-point road favorite in the Cavaliers vs Hornets odds on Sunday afternoon
- Darius Garland (quad) is questionable, while Jarrett Allen (eye) is doubtful
- Don’t miss the latest Cavaliers vs Hornets odds, plus injury news and predictions
The Cavaliers appear to be playoff bound, but if they’re going to make noise in this year’s postseason, they’re going to have to learn to win on the road. Cleveland (42-27, 14-20 away) has won twice as many games at home than on the road, but Sunday brings an excellent chance to improve their record as visitors according to online sportsbooks.
The Cavs travel to Charlotte to face the Hornets (22-46, 11-20 home), and have been pegged as big road favorites in NBA odds.
Cavaliers vs Hornets Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Cavaliers | -7.5 (-110) | -315 | OFF |
| Charlotte Hornets | +7.5 (-110) | +260 | OFF |
Cleveland is currently a 7.5-point favorite, in a game without a total as of Saturday evening. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 pm ET at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC, and will mark the first of two matchups between these two teams over Charlotte in three days.
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Odds as of March 11 at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Cavaliers vs Hornets Betting Trends
The Cavaliers enter play in fourth place in the East’s draw of the NBA playoff bracket, 3.5 half games back of third place Philadelphia. Last time out, they had their three-game losing streak snapped, losing at Miami in the second game of a mini two-game set.
Donovan Mitchell led the way with 42 points, marking his third 40 point effort over the last five games. Mitchell is averaging 32.8 points per game in March, and his offense was especially needed in Cleveland’s last game due to Darius Garland’s absence.
Only two players in Cavs franchise history have recorded nine 40+ point games in a season.
LeBron James
Donovan Mitchell pic.twitter.com/oBjf8LcsRW— NBA History (@NBAHistory) March 11, 2023
Mitchell’s backcourt partner sat out with a quad injury and is listed as questionable for Sunday. Shockingly, their loss versus the Heat was their first in 11 games without Garland this season .
Elsewhere on the injury front, Jarrett Allen gobbled up 13 rebounds to go along with 6 points in Cleveland’s last game, but suffered an eye injury along the way. It’s listed as a right eye bruise, and he’s doubtful to play versus Charlotte.
The Cavaliers have dropped four of their last five games on the road, getting outscored by a combined 27 points.
Despite the road struggles, Cleveland is still the number two ranked team in Net rating. They lead the NBA in defensive rating, and rank ninth on offense. On paper, it seems like they should run this Charlotte team out of its own building, but a closer look at the Hornets reveals they’re playing quite well at the moment.
Charlotte had reeled off back-to-back wins entering play Saturday versus Utah. They’d won seven of their last 10 overall, putting up very strong defensive numbers along the way. The Hornets lead the NBA in defensive rating over the past 10 games, yielding only 108.0 points per 100 possessions.
NBA Defensive Rating Ranks – Last 10 Games
| Team | Rank |
|---|---|
| Charlotte Hornets | 1 |
| LA Lakers | 2 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 3 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 4 |
| Phoenix Suns | 5 |
Extrapolated over the entire season that’s a better mark than the Cavaliers, and eight fewer points than Charlotte allows this season. The offense hasn’t been producing at the same rate, but when you’re playing that well defensively you’re going to stick around in games.
The Hornets have been ranked near the bottom on offense for nearly the entire season. Life won’t get any easier them moving forward without LaMelo Ball (ankle), but Ball’s absence has opened the door for Kelly Oubre Jr. to step up.
Oubre Jr. is averaging 25.2 points in March, pouring in back-to-back 27 point efforts versus the Pistons and Knicks. He and Terry Rozier combined for 48 points in Charlotte’s last outing, and will need similar production for the Hornets to hang with Cleveland.
Cavaliers vs Hornets Predictions
Given the defensive prowess of the Cavs, and the recent defensive form of Charlotte, this game would be an excellent under candidate if a total were available.
In the absence of a total however, let’s look to back the Hornets. Cleveland will possibly be down two of their starting five, and aren’t nearly as imposing as visitors compared to when they’re playing at home.
Kelly Oubre Jr. with the CLUTCH corner triple 🎯pic.twitter.com/iXnsdk0Rje
— Hornets Nation (@HornetsNationCP) March 8, 2023
The Hornets are 7-3 ATS over their last 10 games, winning four times outright when catching points. They’ve held six of their past seven opponents below 106 points, while each of the last three teams they’ve faced have shot below 45%.
Pick: Charlotte Hornets +7.5 (-110)
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As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
