Cleveland Cavaliers vs Charlotte Hornets Prediction 2/20/2026 Today’s NBA Picks

The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Charlotte Hornets collide at the Spectrum Center on Friday night. Here’s a Cleveland Cavaliers vs Charlotte Hornets Prediction. This article will include a Cleveland Cavaliers vs Charlotte Hornets Pick.

Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Preview 

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been on fire as they’ve won 11 of their last 12 games overall and they will be eager to build on their current six-game win streak after blowing past the Nets in a 112-84 win last night. Donovan Mitchell led the team in scoring with just 17 points and five assists, James Harden added 16 points with nine assists while Jarrett Allen tallied 15 points with 10 rebounds.

As a team, the Cavaliers shot 51 percent from the field and 12 of 35 from the 3-point line as they stormed out to an early double-digit lead after dominating the first quarter by 34-16 and they went on another push in the third quarter where they went on a 23-9 run to put the game to bed early. No starter played more than 28 minutes and Evan Mobley looked great in his first game back from injury as he tallied 10 points with nine rebounds in just 19 minutes of action. 

Charlotte Hornets Betting Preview 

Meanwhile, the Charlotte Hornets have been on a tear lately as they’ve won 10 of their last 12 games overall, but they will be looking to bounce back in this one after coming up painfully short to the Rockets in a 105-101 defeat last night. Grant Williams led the team with 20 points and nine rebounds on seven of 10 shooting, Brandon Miller added 17 points with seven assists, Kon Knueppel tallied 15 points with five rebounds and four assists while LaMelo Ball chipped in with 11 points and seven assists.

As a team, the Hornets shot just 43 percent from the field and 14 of 42 from the 3-point line as they got off to a quick start with 33 points in the first to take the early lead, but they didn’t capitalize and just couldn’t find their offense when they needed it most as they had the scores tied up early in the fourth quarter before the Rockets went on a pivotal 11-0 run to start to pull away.

Why the Charlotte Hornets will win

• The Hornets have won each of their last six games against opponents who are on the second leg of a back-to-back.
• The Cavaliers have lost four of their last five road games on the second leg of a back-to-back against the Hornets.
• The Hornets have covered the spread in each of their last seven games as underdogs on the second leg of a back-to-back.
• The Cavaliers have failed to cover the spread in 12 of their last 13 Friday night games against teams that held a losing record.

Why the Cleveland Cavaliers will win

• The Cavaliers have won each of their last nine road games against Southeast Division opponents that held a losing record.
• The Hornets have lost each of their last eight Friday night games against Cavaliers teams that held a winning record.
• The Cavaliers have covered the spread in each of their last seven night games against Eastern Conference opponents.
• The Hornets have failed to cover the spread in each of their last four games as home underdogs against Central Division opponents.

Total Points Facts

• Each of the Hornets’ last seven games as underdogs against opponents who are on the second leg of a back-to-back have gone UNDER the total points line.
• Five of the Cavaliers’ last six games against Eastern Conference opponents have gone UNDER the total points line.

Charlotte Hornets Player Facts

• Ryan Kalkbrenner is one of only seven players to have made 8+ field goals without a miss in a game this season.
• Brandon Miller ranks 6th in the Eastern Conference amongst qualified players for FT% (89.0%) this season.

Cleveland Cavaliers Player Facts

• Dean Wade ranks 2nd amongst qualified players for assist:turnover ratio (5.2) this season.
• Evan Mobley rank 4th amongst qualified players for steals + blocks per game (2.8) this season.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Hornets rank 1st in the league for opponent free throw attempts per game this season (20.4).
• The Hornets have missed the playoffs in nine consecutive seasons – longest active streak in the NBA.
• The Cavaliers rank T1st in the league for Q4 points per game this season (30.1).
• The Cavaliers rank 1st in the league for H2 points per game this season (61.4).

Cleveland Cavaliers vs Charlotte Hornets Prediction

The Cavaliers are still missing Max Strus and Nae’Qwan Tomlin, while the Hornets are still playing without the suspended Miles Bridges and they are keeping an eye on Coby White who is listed as a game time decision. These teams have already met three times this season with the Cavaliers winning the last two meetings to lead the series by 2-1.

It’s hard to split these two teams at the moment, but I do have to give the edge to the Cavaliers who are almost back to full health which makes them so much more dangerous. Harden has looked great in the Cavs lineup so far and I think they can stay with a win and cover at this reasonable line in what should be a close one.

Peter Tran's Pick: Cleveland -4.5