Cavaliers vs Hornets Prediction, Picks & Odds for Tonight’s NBA Game

Our NBA betting picks see Charlotte putting up a good fight vs. the Cavs tonight.

Eric Rosales - Contributor at Covers.com
Eric Rosales • Betting Analyst
Feb 20, 2026 • 09:35 ET • 4 min read

NBA

Match starts: 8 hrs
CLE
59 %
CHA
41 %
EXPERT PICK - SPREAD
Charlotte +6.0 (-110) Charlotte +6.0 (-110)
Read Analysis
Charlotte Hornets LaMelo Ball NBA
Photo By - Reuters Connect. Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) in NBA action.

The Cleveland Cavaliers look for their seventh straight win when they visit the Charlotte Hornets tonight.

Both teams will be playing the latter half of a back-to-back, with the books setting the visitors as 6-point favorites in the NBA odds.

Even with James Harden’s successful integration onto the Cleveland roster, my Cavaliers vs. Hornets predictions and free NBA picks like the home team to cover on Friday, February 20.

Cavaliers vs Hornets prediction

Cavaliers vs Hornets best bet: Hornets +6 (-110)

The Cleveland Cavaliers crushed Brooklyn 112-84 on Thursday, moving to 3-0 since acquiring James Harden while averaging 123 points a game.

But Cleveland has had its problems against the Charlotte Hornets. While they’ve won six of the last seven straight-up, they're just 1-4 ATS in their last five meetings.

The Hornets lost a close 105-101 decision to Houston yesterday, but they’re built to bounce back. They're 9-2 ATS on the second night of a back-to-back, the second-best mark in the NBA.

They’re also allowing just 105.2 ppg over their last 10, third-best in basketball.

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Cavaliers vs Hornets same-game parlay

The point guards are front-and-center for this SGP. Harden has topped his 8.5-assist line in each of the last two games, missing the Over in his debut by two dimes.

LaMelo Ball, meanwhile, racked up seven assists in the loss to Houston, and he’s averaging 7.4 dimes per game on the season.

Cavaliers vs Hornets SGP

  • Hornets +6
  • James Harden Over 8.5 assists
  • LaMelo Ball Over 6.5 assists

Our "from downtown" SGP: Arc asylum

Harden has hit at least three 3-balls in six of his last nine, shooting it much better than backcourt mate Donovan Mitchell, who has hit three triples in a game one time in his last seven.

Brandon Miller has hit 3+ 3-pointers in three of his last four, while rookie phenom Kon Knueppel has drilled 4+ in five of his last eight outings.

Ball has struggled shooting deep against Cleveland, hitting four 3-pointers or more in a game just three times in 10 career starts.

Cavaliers vs Hornets SGP

  • James Harden Over 2.5 3-pointers
  • Donovan Mitchell Under 2.5 3-pointers
  • Brandon Miller Over 2.5 3-pointers 
  • Kon Knueppel Over 3.5 3-pointers
  • LaMelo Ball Under 3.5 3-poiners

Cavaliers vs Hornets odds

  • Spread: Cavaliers -6 | Hornets +6
  • Moneyline: Cavaliers -225 | Hornets +185
  • Over/Under: Over 231.5 | Under 231.5

Cavaliers vs Hornets betting trend to know

The  Hornets have hit the moneyline in 20 of their last 35 games (+18.20 Units / 39% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Cavaliers vs. Hornets.

How to watch Cavaliers vs Hornets

Location Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
Date Friday, February 20, 2026
Tip-off 7:00 p.m. ET
TV FDSN Ohio, FDSN Southeast Charlotte

Cavaliers vs Hornets latest injuries

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Eric Rosales - Covers
Betting Analyst

Eric has been involved in sports media in many different capacities since graduating from journalism school in 1999, back when getting your own column in a newspaper was still considered a thing. He doubled down and graduated from broadcast journalism school five years later, which led to a move to Toronto and a career with The Sports Network (TSN). From behind-the-scenes production work, he moved into the digital realm, where he had his own hoops column (At the Buzzer), while regularly live streaming and chatting with fans during broadcasts as the character known as LeBlog James. He was also a key contributor to TSN and CTV’s Olympic programming during the 2012 London Games.

Eric eventually found his way into the sports betting field in 2016 and has been a mainstay ever since. He was tagged on Twitter as a Top 10 NBA sharp during the 2021 season and has been interviewed about basketball and his handicapping process on shows from Vancouver to India. Eric is now a jack-of-all-sports at Covers, where his predictions span the alphabet soup: NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, F1, WNBA, Euro, and Copa.

When making picks, he focuses on finding value first and foremost, and ensuring readers have all the information they need to make an informed choice.

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