Cavaliers vs. Hornets Prediction, NBA Odds & Best Bets (11/9)

Fact checked at 9:41 AM ET, Nov 9, 2026

Odds as of 8:31 AM ET, Nov 9, 2026

Charlotte had the worst offense in the league before its latest injuries, and tonight it gets thinner. The Hornets (3-7, six straight losses) have ruled out Brandon Miller (right hip strain), Dennis Schroder and Kon Knueppel (both left hamstring strains) and Grant Williams (right hamstring strain). Moussa Diabate is questionable with a right quadriceps injury. Cleveland (5-5) is without Sam Merrill, Jaylon Tyson and Nae'Qwan Tomlin, and Jarrett Allen is questionable with a right knee contusion after missing the last two games. Tipoff is 7:00 PM ET at Spectrum Center.

Our read is simple. Charlotte can't score enough to keep this close or to push the total up, and Cleveland wins comfortably without needing a shootout. That puts us on the Cavaliers, the Under, and James Harden, whose assists are down this season, staying under his number.

Cavaliers vs. Hornets Predictions

• Pick #1: Cavaliers -9 (-114)
• Pick #2: Under 214.5 (-108)
• Pick #3: James Harden Under 6.5 Assists (-141)

PICK #1: Cavaliers -9 (-114)

Charlotte scores 96.3 points a game, 30th of 30, and Miller was playing for that. He had 19, 24, 17 and 10 in the four games before he left the Boston loss in the second quarter. Without him for most of that night, and without Schroder and Diabate, the Hornets shot 29% from the field and 11 of 50 from three in a 119-80 home loss. They've been held under 90 four times in 10 games. Knueppel has played six minutes all season, so his absence isn't new. Losing Miller and Schroder together is, and it leaves Charlotte short of anyone who can create a shot.

Cleveland scores 117.0 a game, 10th in the league, and Donovan Mitchell put up 37 in the loss to the Knicks last time out. The Cavaliers have dropped three of their last five, two of them to Oklahoma City. Their two wins in that stretch came by 25 at Milwaukee and 24 over Philadelphia.

The spread at -114 implies 53.3%, and this isn't a team that piles up big wins. Cleveland has won by 10 or more in only three of its 10 games, it's 1-3 on the road, and its defense allows 114.1 a game, 17th in the league. A late Charlotte run against a big lead is how this one gets away.

PICK #2: Under 214.5 (-108)

Seven of Charlotte's 10 games have stayed under 214.5, and the Hornets scored 81, 89, 79 and 80 in four of them. Add Cleveland's 117.0 average to Charlotte's 96.3 and you get 213.3, and that's before you take Miller and Schroder off the floor.

Cleveland's games are the warning. Only two of the Cavaliers' 10 games have stayed under this number, and if Charlotte finds its shot and keeps pace, this turns into a shootout. Still, Charlotte's defense is better than its record, allowing 110.2 a game (10th in the league), and a short-handed Cleveland lineup managed 97 against the Knicks without Allen, Merrill and Tyson. If the Cavaliers pull away as the first pick expects, the benches could see a lot of the fourth quarter.

At -108, the Under implies 51.9%. Diabate's return would give Charlotte one more regular, though he missed the Boston game too.

PICK #3: James Harden Under 6.5 Assists (-141)

In the two games Allen missed, Harden had 5 and 3 assists. He's averaging 5.8 in 33.4 minutes this season and has stayed under 6.5 in seven of his 10 games, all starts. The price is -141, which implies 58.5%, and seven of 10 clears it.

Last season is the reason to hesitate. After joining Cleveland he averaged 7.7 assists in 26 regular-season games and stayed under 6.5 in only seven of them. But his number dropped to 5.5 across 18 playoff games and hasn't come back up, so he's under 6.5 in 19 of his last 28 games.

A blowout cuts his minutes, though it doesn't promise a quiet night. In Cleveland's two big wins he had 3 assists in 30 minutes against Philadelphia and 7 in 26 at Milwaukee. The bigger risk is Allen: if he plays, Harden has his center back.

21+ (18+ where permitted). Odds subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.