The Charlotte Hornets and Orlando Magic are in a battle for their NBA playoff lives.
Tonight’s NBA Play-In finale should be absolutely riveting, and my Hornets vs. Magic predictions and NBA props projections have found three potential mismatches to take advantage of.
Read on for my NBA picks for Friday, April 17.
Best Hornets vs Magic props
| Player | Pick |  |
|---|---|---|
 Wendell Carter Jr. |
Over 1.5 assists | +100 |
 Miles Bridges |
Over 1.5 threes | +102 |
| Kon Knueppel |
Over 2.5 threes | -130 |
Prop #1: Wendell Carter Jr. Over 1.5 assists
As the Orlando Magic's starting center, Wendell Carter Jr. regularly serves as the offensive hub, with Orlando guards and wings cutting to the cup off his passes.
Our Covers prop projections have Carter dropping at least two dimes tonight, which is something he has done in three of his previous seven games.
The Charlotte Hornets rank among the league's worst at defending big man playmakers, making this a prime opportunity for Carter to rack up the dimes.
Prop #2: Miles Bridges Over 1.5 threes
Miles Bridges has quietly become one of Charlotte’s most reliable 3-point threats.
With LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller drawing constant defensive attention and creating open looks on the perimeter, Bridges benefits from some of the best kick-out opportunities on the team.
He’s knocked down at least four threes in four of his previous seven games and should get there again against Orlando.
Prop #3: Kon Knueppel Over 2.5 threes
Kon Knueppel has been one of the more impressive shooting revelations for Charlotte this season. He’s drained the fourth-most threes in the NBA this season and is coming off a 0-for-6 stinker against Miami.
Our model expects a bounce-back shooting night, and Knueppel has made at least three threes in four of his previous seven games.
I expect Orlando's defense to prioritize stopping Ball first, so I’ll back the rookie sharpshooter against the Magic.
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Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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