The Charlotte Hornets meet the Orlando Magic in the first of two NBA Play-In games on Friday. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime Video.
The winner will receive the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference and face the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in the opening round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
DraftKings is dealing the Hornets as a 3.5-point road favorite with a total of 218.5. 83% of spread handle and 73% of tickets are on Charlotte.
After Orlando beat Charlotte early this season, the Hornets have reeled off 20+ victories in the last three meetings. The Hornets have too much offensive firepower, and the Magic will struggle to keep pace.
Bonus bets: Hornets -3.5, UNDER 218.5 (as of publication at DraftKings Sportsbook)
Top Player Props for Hornets vs. Magic
Now, let’s get to our top player prop bets for Hornets vs. Magic, using lines from DraftKings Pick6.
Charlotte’s Brandon Miller OVER 19.5 Points
If you watched Charlotte’s 127-126 OT win over Miami on Tuesday, Brandon Miller was a steadying force for the Hornets.
Star guard LaMelo Ball and rookie phenom Kon Knueppel went a combined 2-of-22 from behind the arc. Miller shot 50% from long range, making five of his 10 attempts. He finished with 23 points.
Miller was also a major factor in Charlotte’s last two wins over Orlando, scoring 20 and 25 points, respectively.
Charlotte’s Moussa Diabate OVER 1.5 Assists
Moussa Diabate has topped this number in four of his last five games. The 6-foot-10 forward averages 1.9 assists per game. All this takes is a couple of 3-pointers made off kick-out passes by Diabate inside.
Orlando’s Franz Wagner UNDER 16.5 Points
Franz Wagner missed a ton of time this season with a high-ankle sprain. Still feeling the effects of that, Wagner then suffered a knee injury in yesterday’s loss to the 76ers after colliding with teammate Wendell Carter Jr.
Despite playing 29 minutes against Philadelphia, Wagner finished with just 12 points. We’re assuming he won’t be 100% on Friday, and playing the UNDER on this point total.
Charlotte’s Ryan Kalkbrenner OVER 3.5 Rebounds
Charlotte center Ryan Kalkbrenner has been helping bettors print money by taking the OVER on this prop of late. He’s cashed with 4+ rebounds in six of his last seven games.
The Hornets rank third in the NBA with 55.9 rebounds per game, and Kalkbrenner is a significant contributor. Expect him to eclipse this modest total again on Friday night.
The post NBA Play-In Game: Best Player Prop Bets for Hornets vs. Magic on Friday, April 17 appeared first on CasinoBeats.
