Charlotte Hornets @ Cleveland Cavaliers - January 5, 2025

Alright, folks! It’s game day, and I can feel the excitement buzzing through the city like a live wire. The Cleveland Cavaliers are set to take on the Charlotte Hornets at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, and let me tell you, this is going to be a showdown worth watching.

Now, let’s break it down. The Cavs are coming into this game riding high on a nine-game winning streak. They’ve been absolutely dominant lately, racking up an impressive 122.4 points per game with a shooting percentage that hovers around 50.4%. That’s some serious firepower! And don’t even get me started on their three-point shooting – they’re hitting nearly 41% from beyond the arc. With those numbers, it’s no wonder oddsmakers have them as hefty favorites at -15.5 points.

On the flip side, we have the Charlotte Hornets who are struggling big time with a record of just 7-26 SU and currently in a nine-game losing streak themselves. Their offensive stats paint a grim picture; they’re only managing about 106 points per game while shooting just under 43%. When you compare that to what Cleveland has been doing offensively, it feels like David versus Goliath out there.

Defensively, both teams have their issues but Cleveland seems to be slightly better positioned to capitalize on Charlotte’s weaknesses. The Cavs average over 43 rebounds per game and manage to snag about 9 steals while keeping turnovers relatively low at around 13 per game. Meanwhile, Charlotte is giving up more turnovers (16) than they’re creating steals (8), which could spell disaster against such an efficient offense.

Now let’s talk strategy for tonight’s matchup: I expect Cleveland to come out firing right from tip-off and maintain control throughout the game. They’ve shown they can cover spreads effectively – they’ve done so in seven of their last eight games – and I see no reason why that trend won’t continue against a struggling Hornets team.

As for the total score? Given how both teams have performed recently—Cleveland consistently going OVER in their last eight games while Charlotte has seen five straight games go UNDER—I’m leaning towards an UNDER outcome here as well. With Cleveland likely dominating possession and controlling pace, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see something closer to the mid-200s rather than anything wild.

So here’s my prediction: The Cavaliers will not only win but also cover that spread comfortably tonight against the Hornets. Buckle up because this one is going to be fun! Let’s go Cavs!