Hornets vs Magic Player Props to Bet on Friday, Apr 17

• The Hornets face the Magic tonight in a win-or-go home NBA Play-In Tournament game
• Orlando yielded the fewest made threes to opposing shooters this season
• Keep reading for my favorite Hornets vs Magic player props to bet

The NBA Play-In Tournament concludes tonight, with a pair of win-or-go home showdowns. First up, we have the pesky Hornets taking on the Magic, and I’m diving deep into the player props market to find my top wagers.

Charlotte has a chance to advance to the playoffs thanks to a razor thin 127-126 win over Miami in the 9th vs 10th place game. LaMelo Ball was the hero in that contest, but I’m expecting tonight’s challenge to be significantly more difficult.

Keep reading for my favorite Hornets vs Magic player props to bet, plus the reasoning behind each selection.

Hornets vs Magic Player Props

My favorite NBA props bet is under 4.5 threes for Ball. Yes, he leads the league in 3-point attempts, but his lack of efficiency coupled with the Orlando defense makes this an easy wager to place. I’m also targeting over 22.5 points for Paolo Banchero, as I expect him to be able to bully the Charlotte defense inside.

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Hornets vs Magic Player Props to Bet #1: LaMelo Ball Threes

• LaMelo Ball Under 4.5 Threes (-136 at DraftKings)

I have no doubt Ball will let it rip from beyond the arc tonight. Look no further than the Hornets first Play-In game when he put up 16 three-point attempts versus the Heat. Ball was 2-for-16 from long range in that contest, and the Miami defense can’t hold a candle to the Magic’s. No defense in the NBA yielded fewer threes than Orlando, while the Magic did an excellent job of containing Ball during the regular season.

NBA 3-Point Attempt Leaders

He averaged just 18 points against them, shooting 43.8% from the field and 34% from beyond the arc. As mentioned, volume won’t be an issue, but his efficiency has been all over the place recently. Ball has shot below 32% from downtown in back-to-back outings, and in six of his last 10 games overal.

Hornets vs Magic Player Props to Bet #2: Paolo Banchero Points

• Paolo Banchero Over 22.5 Points (-120 at Bet365)

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As for Banchero, he’ll need to have a huge game if the Magic want to cement their place in the NBA Championship odds. His production has been up and down in recent weeks, but a matchup versus the weak Charlotte interior should solve that.

The Hornets yield 50+ points in the paint on a nightly basis and just coughed up 62 points inside last time out to Miami, despite Bam Adebayo leaving early. They can be bullied down low, and Banchero has more than enough strength and touch at the rim to take advantage.

Banchero has taken at least 22 shots in back-to-back must win games, and facing another one tonight, we can pencil in another high volume shooting night on 38+ minutes of action.