Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA

Charlotte Hornets vs Orlando Magic: Is Orlando a playoff lock?

The Charlotte Hornets are visiting the Orlando Magic at Spectrum Center on Tuesday.

The Hornets have lost 8 of the last 10 games

The Charlotte Hornets are 13th in the Eastern Conference with a 7-51 record. They have lost three of the last four games and are coming off a 109-98 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. The Hornets are among the bottom three teams in the league, scoring 106.8 points per game on 45.7% shooting from the field. LaMelo Ball leads the team with 23.9 points and 8 assists per game.

The Magic are looking for their fourth straight win

The Orlando Magic are fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 40-28 record. They have won the last three games and are coming off a 111-96 win over the Toronto Raptors. The Magic are third in the league, allowing 109 points per game, and second with 25 free throw attempts per game. Paolo Banchero leads the team with 22.8 points per game.

Betting Trends

These two teams have played under the total point line in 6 of their last 7 games. The Magic have played under in 10 of the last 12 games overall, 9 of the last 11 games against teams from the Eastern Conference and 6 of the last 8 games against teams from the Southeast Division. The Hornets have played under in 13 of the last 16 games overall, in 5 of the last 6 games against teams from the Eastern Conference and the last 5 games against teams from the Southeast Division.

Prediction and Conclusion

The Orlando Magic are having their best season in more than a decade, and they are going for their fourth consecutive win tonight, which will increase their chances of finishing in the top six in the conference. The Hornets have no chance of making it in the top 10, so they are playing with no pressure at all. Looking at the betting trends, everything is telling us to go with the under the total point line bet, but that is the reason why the line is set at only 203 total points. No matter the team stats, this line is simply too low, so we are going with over 203 points in total.