Who wants to back Charlotte right now? The Hornets have lost six consecutive games without covering a single one and they've been getting absolutely demolished along the way. Boston ran them off the court on Friday, Detroit did likewise last Monday, and Atlanta delivered another blowout back in late October. Meanwhile, Cleveland has gone 7-1 SU in the last eight games in this series, their defense has improved considerably, and they still possess the offensive firepower to punish vulnerable opponents. Everything about this matchup screams Cleveland. That's precisely the quandary.
Charlotte's dreadful run has made the Hornets an awfully unattractive proposition which should allow us to catch an enhanced number against a Cavaliers outfit that bettors have every reason to trust in this situation. But there's another factor here and it's arguably the most important. Cleveland is coming off a meeting with the Knicks and has another encounter with New York at at Madison Square Garden awaiting on the other side of this game. Two Eastern Conference Finals rematches and suddenly this seemingly straightforward assignment against Charlotte becomes a classic sandwich spot. The Cavaliers have every reason to be focused on New York, especially considering they lost by 12 against them on Saturday while the Hornets are the struggling opponent sandwiched between the incoming rematch. Cleveland might be the better team, but that doesn't mean it's the better bet. Given Charlotte's inflated price and Cleveland's scheduling circumstances, I wouldn't be surprised if the Hornets made this considerably more interesting than expected. They might even catch the Cavaliers outright. I'll gladly take the points.
Cavaliers vs Hornets prediction: Charlotte +8.5 (-101) available at time of publishing. Playable to +8.
