Orlando Magic vs. Charlotte Hornets (April 17, 2026): 3 Things to Watch, Odds and Prediction

• How To Watch: Prime Video (National)
• STREAM MAGIC-HORNETS ON FUBO TV
• How to Listen: WYGM 96.9 FM (Orlando); 740AM (Orlando); WFNZ 92.7 FM (Charlotte); Sirius XM Channel 81 (Hornets); Sirius XM Channel 86 (Magic); NBA Audio League Pass (National)
• FOLLOW LIVE: @OMAGICDAILY
• Tickets: $80-$441+ on StubHub
• Season Series: Magic 123, Hornets 107 in Charlotte on Oct. 30; Hornets 120, Magic 105 in Orlando on Dec. 26; Hornets 124, Magic 97 in Orlando on Jan. 22; Hornets 130, Magic 111 in Charlotte on March 19; Tonight in Orlando (8-Seed Elimination Game)

Orlando Magic vs. Charlotte Hornets: Stats and 3 Keys to Watch

1. From the jump

The Orlando Magic have struggled to keep up with the Charlotte Hornets throughout their four matchups this season. Once the Hornets got on their roll, their three-point shooting and speed suddenly became enough to break the Magic.

While all three of those games ended up with closer scores, they were long decided before the fourth quarter began.

And they all really started in the first quarter.

The Hornets beat the Magic 38-28 in the first quarter of their December matchup, 35-20 in the first quarter of their January matchup and 34-32, erasing an early eight-point deficit, in the March matchup. Orlando has simply not gotten off to good starts and put itself in a hole the team has struggled to escape.

The Magic said at shootaround Friday morning that they want to set a physical tone. They know how vital it is to get off to a good start.

They cannot win the game in the first quarter, but they can certainly lose it. That is how both teams must feel. And it is vital for Orlando to get off to a strong start to stay in this game, get the crowd engaged and not have to climb uphill.

2. Franz vs. the Hornets

The Orlando Magic's three losses against the Charlotte Hornets all had another thing in common: They were played without Franz Wagner.

And Wagner is the biggest key to this game. He scored 21 points and was a +21 in that game, a vital game after the Magic's 1-4 start. Paolo Banchero and Anthony Black also had 20 points in the game.

It was a sign of how the Magic's size could be a huge factor in this matchup because the Hornets tend to play smaller. Orlando must get to the paint and get their big wings are driving downhill to set everything else up.

Wagner has had big games against Charlotte. In his career against the Hornets, he has averaged 18.5 points per game and shot 51.8 percent from the floor in 16 matchups. This is obviously a very different Charlotte team than the one that he has played for the majority of his career.

Wagner is still ramping up and approaching 30 minutes as he gets more minutes load put on him. He struggled to 12 points on 5-for-11 shooting in Wednesday's loss. The Magic will need a good showing from Wagner.

3. Three-point math

The Orlando Magic's 3-point shooting against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday was less than ideal. Desmond Bane did his part, shooting 4 for 7 from deep. But the rest of the team was just 3 for 21 overall.

It is extremely difficult to win in the NBA without three-point shooting. And while the Magic do not need to be the best shooting team, they need to keep up.

And that will be the biggest challenge against the Charlotte Hornets.

The Hornets finished the season second in the league with 43.3 3-point attempts per game and first in makes with 16.4 per game. Orlando will have a tough time simply keeping up if Charlotte is able to hit nearly 20 3-pointers.

That was the case in their three losses.

In the four games against the Magic, the Hornets averaged 17.3 3-point makes and 37.8 3-point attempts per game (45.7 percent). That is some extreme shooting luck as the Magic have limited 3-point attempts. But Charlotte got quality looks. And the Magic cannot keep up.

Three-point math has been a problem for the Magic for several years. Orlando will need a good shooting game from both Desmond Bane and Jalen Suggs, at least, to keep pressure on Charlotte with all of its shooters.

Orlando Magic vs. Charlotte Hornets: Injury Report & Projected Lineups

Charlotte Hornets Injury Report

• Moussa Diabate - QUESTIONABLE (Left Hip Soreness)

Orlando Magic Injury Report

• Wendell Carter - AVAILABLE (Nasal Fracture Face Mask)
• Jonathan Isaac - QUESTIONABLE (Left Knee Sprain)

Projected Starting Lineups

Orlando Magic vs. Charlotte Hornets: Prediction

Our Record: 52-31/35-48 ATS

This game is a battle of vibes, pure and simple.

The Orlando Magic were the Charlotte Hornets two years ago. Winning was new to them and the team was excited and energized every game because the feeling of winning was worth getting up for. As Charles Lee put it after the Hornets won on Tuesday, his team got a taste and they want more.

The Magic have been chasing that kind of high for two years.

Injuries have derailed them. Expectations have weighed on them. The team has lost much of its spark and joy, as coach Jamahl Mosley likes to put it.

It does not mean Orlando is bad. The team can still play adequate basketball. But everything has been an uphill climb for it all season long. And at some point, the boulder crushes Sisyphus and rolls all the way down the hill.

That is how every season goes. Only one team gets to the top of the mountain.

The question in this game is whether the Magic have the will to keep fighting and climbing that mountain for this do-or-die game. And then if they do, whether they have the shot-making and defensive attention to detail to beat a Hornets team that knows its identity, its roles and executes them at a high level.

The Magic will need to make their own victory tonight, but they will need some help too. Maybe the crowd is enough to lift the team to a victory. Maybe that is the emotional boost this team needs to play with the energy necessary to win.

They will have to earn that support after a frustrating season. And they will have to earn this victory.

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