The Cleveland Cavaliers face the Charlotte Hornets in an Eastern Conference matchup on Monday, December 22, with Cleveland favored by 9.5 points. SportsLine's projection model, after 10,000 simulations, leans toward the under on the total of 239.5 points. Injuries to key players on both sides could influence the game's pace.
The Cleveland Cavaliers (15-14) host the Charlotte Hornets (9-19) at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland at 7 p.m. ET. Cleveland has struggled lately, dropping eight of its past 11 games, while Charlotte has shown some resilience by winning two of its last three.
Injuries will play a significant role. For the Hornets, guard Collin Sexton is out with a quad injury. The Cavaliers will be without forward Evan Mobley due to a calf issue, though guard Donovan Mitchell is probable after dealing with an illness.
Betting lines list Cleveland as a 9.5-point favorite with a moneyline of -345, while the Hornets sit at +273. The over/under is set at 239.5 points. The SportsLine Projection Model, which has a strong track record with over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on top-rated NBA picks over eight seasons, simulates every game 10,000 times.
The model projects the game to trend under, with both teams showing a propensity for lower-scoring affairs this season. Cleveland has gone under in 16 of 29 games, including 12 of 17 at home. Charlotte has hit the under in 18 of 28 contests. Simulations show the teams combining for 238 points, with the under succeeding in well over 50% of outcomes. Mitchell is the only player projected to exceed 20 points.
One side of the spread is expected to hit nearly 70% of the time, though specifics are available only through SportsLine. This matchup highlights ongoing challenges for both teams in the Eastern Conference standings.
