Cleveland Cavaliers vs Charlotte Hornets Prediction, Preview and Odds - 01/21/2026

Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Venue:  Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC 

Where to Watch:  ESPN

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Cavaliers -2.5, Hornets +2.5; Over/Under:  236.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Cavaliers -2.5, Hornets +2.5; Over/Under:  236.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Cavaliers -2.5, Hornets +2.5; Over/Under:  236.5 points

Cleveland Cavaliers:  24-20 (2nd place, Central Division)

Charlotte Hornets:  16-27 (4th place, Southeast Division)

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Cleveland Cavaliers:  6-4 last 10

Charlotte Hornets:  5-5 last 10

The Cavaliers are entering this game with a 24-20 record overall this season and they are 10-9 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Donovan Mitchell led the team in points in that game with 19 while Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Jaylon Tyson, and De'Andre Hunter each were next on the team with 16 points. Evan Mobley led the team in assists in that game with 5 while Jaylon Tyson led the team in rebounds with 10. They were 37.4% from the field, 22.9% from 3-point range, and 80% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 119.6 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 117.8 PPG against them. The Cavaliers have an ATS record of 15-29 this season and their O/U record is 21-23.

The Hornets are entering this game with a 16-27 record overall this season and they are 7-12 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the Denver Nuggets. Brandon Miller led the team in points in that game with 23 while Ryan Kalkbrenner was next on the team with 17 points. LaMelo Ball led the team in assists in that game with 6 while Tidjane Salaün led the team in rebounds with 11. They were 49.4% from the field, 32.4% from 3-point range, and 84.6% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 116.4 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 116.4 PPG against them. The Hornets have an ATS record of 25-18 this season and their O/U record is 18-25.

The current betting odds have the Cavaliers listed as a 2.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Cavaliers have looked good in their games this season with their 24-20 record overall which has them in the top half of the East. They have been a decent road team too with their 10-9 road record this season. Meanwhile, the Hornets haven't looked good in their games this season with their 16-27 record overall which has them in the bottom half of the East. They haven't looked great on their home court either with their 7-12 home record this year. They are off a big win over the Nuggets in their last one, but the Nuggets have also been shorthanded lately with their best player out of the lineup, and the Hornets are still only 5-5 in their last 10 games. They have been really up and down all season as they have a lot of young talent that has helped the team improve this year, but they still don't have the talent to compete with the best teams in the East. The Cavaliers haven't looked like one of the best teams in the East this season, but they were last year and they still have that talent that can compete at the highest level. They are off a bad loss to the Thunder in their last one who have the best record in the NBA this season by far, but they will be looking to bounce back here against an inferior opponent, and the Cavs have looked better lately as they are 6-4 in their last 10 games. Look for the Cavaliers to start stringing some wins together now as they try to get on a run and elevate themselves in the East. The best way to place a bet here is on the Cavaliers to cover the spread in this game. 

Cavaliers Hornets Prediction:  Our NBA Pick for Wednesday, January 21, 2026 (7:00 pm ET start time) is Cavaliers 127 Hornets 115.

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Cleveland Cavaliers: 15-29 ATS in all games. 10-24 ATS as a favorite. 4-14 ATS when playing against a team with a losing record. 7-16 ATS versus poor defensive teams - allowing 116+ points/game. 7-2 UNDER when playing against a bad team (Win Pct. 25% to 40%). 6-3 UNDER versus good rebounding teams - outrebounding opponents by 3+ per game.

Charlotte Hornets: 8-4 ATS when the line is +3 to -3. 18-7 ATS when playing against a team with a winning record. 18-7 ATS versus good offensive teams - scoring 116+ points/game. 21-14 UNDER as an underdog. 9-3 UNDER in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 230.

Cleveland Cavaliers:  S. Merrill (SG) Day To Day - Hand. D. Garland (PG) Out - Foot. M. Strus (SF) Out - Foot.

Charlotte Hornets:  G. Williams (PF) Day To Day - Groin. M. Plumlee (C) Out - Groin.

“We got the rim 19 times in the first half. We got to the paint. We got to the rim. I’m kind of disappointed with how we read the rim, right? They got Chet Holmgren in there. He’s probably the number one rim protector in the league, and we didn’t kick it out. We have to understand. It was physicality and force, but I also think it was our reads in the game. We didn’t read the game right. The decision-making was troubling.” - Kenny Atkinson after his team’s loss against the OKC Thunder in their game on Monday.

“From jump street, it was great to see the defensive physicality, the intention to have each other’s back was huge. You could see it early in the game. The connected defense was there. Finishing possessions as a group was really good.” - Charles Lee after his team’s win against the Nuggets in their game on Sunday.

PG Craig Porter Jr.

SG Donovan Mitchell

SF Dean Wade

PF Evan Mobley

C Jarrett Allen

PG LaMelo Ball

SG Kon Knueppel

SF Brandon Miller

PF Miles Bridges

C Moussa Diabate

PPG: Donovan Mitchell (29)

APG: Darius Garland (6.9)

Reb/G: Evan Mobley (8.6)

PPG: LaMelo Ball (19.9)

APG: LaMelo Ball (7.6)

Reb/G: Moussa Diabate (8.4)

Coaches:

Cleveland Cavaliers: Kenny Atkinson (2nd season)

Charlotte Hornets: Charles Lee (2nd season)