Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets finished a middling 47-42 season with mixed recent form, dropping three of their last five games heading into the playoffs. A loss to Orlando on April 17 capped a stretch that exposed offensive inconsistency despite a respectable 116.1 points per game average and 45.9 field goal percentage. The three-point line proved unreliable at 37.6 percent, a liability in modern playoff basketball. Charlotte stole one at home against Miami (127-126) and won convincingly at New York (110-96), but defeats to Boston, Detroit, and Orlando revealed defensive vulnerabilities that stronger opponents will exploit. The Hornets’ mid-seed positioning reflects their ceiling: capable of competitive stretches but lacking the depth or execution to sustain pressure through a seven-game series. Bettors should view Charlotte as a team that can cover spreads in isolation but carries real fade risk in playoff matchups where defensive discipline and shot creation separate contenders from pretenders. The regular season record masks a team trending downward at the worst possible time.