The Charlotte Hornets will continue their Eastern Conference road trip when they face the Miami Heat on Tuesday night. Expectations are fairly low for both teams, but each team currently sits at 2-1, making this an intriguing matchup of potential overachievers in the East.
If the start of the season is any indication, the Hornets are a very similar team to last year. They put up points in droves, but the defense, if it can be called that, allows a seemingly endless stream of scoring to any team they face. Point guard LaMelo Ball leads the lineup, while forwards Miles Bridges and Brandon Miller provide excellent scoring behind him. They provide matchup problems for any opponent, but without the ability to get stops, the Hornets should end up towards the bottom of the Eastern Conference once again.
The Heat are as close to a polar opposite of the Hornets as it can get. Head coach Erik Spoelstra remains one of the best leaders in the NBA, consistently leading decent rosters to overachieve. The defense is always better than anyone expects, led by forward Bam Adebayo and guard Davion Mitchell. The newly-acquired Norman Powell adds a scoring punch to a lineup that sorely needs it, and center Kel'el Ware looks like one of the most promising young big men in the NBA.
Spread
- Hornets +6 (-103)
- Heat -6 (-104)
Money line
- Hornets +203
- Heat -212
Totals
- Over 241 (-106)
- Under 241 (-101)
Note: The above data was collected on Oct. 28, 2025, and may have changed since writing.
Hornets vs Heat Betting Trends
- The Hornets are 3-0 ATS this year.
- The over is also undefeated in Charlotte's games.
- The Heat are undefeated against the spread this season.
- The over is 2-1 in Miami's games.
Hornets vs Heat Injury Reports
Charlotte Hornets
- Brandon Miller, SF - Out.
- Tre Mann, PG - Day-to-Day.
- Josh Green, SG - Out.
- Grant Williams, F - Out.
Miami Heat
- Kasparas Jakucionis, PG - Out.
- Simone Fontecchio, F - Day-to-Day.
- Tyler Herro, G - Out.
Hornets vs Heat Prediction and Pick
While a six-point spread might seem like a wide margin for a team of the Heat's caliber, it is surprising that it is not wider here. The Hornets are absolutely awful defensively, and Miami is more than capable of taking advantage of that fact, even with star guard Tyler Herro on the shelf for this game. Powell has been fantastic and should continue to pour in points against one of the worst defenses in the league.
Defensively, Mitchell has matched up surprisingly well with Ball in the past, and the absence of Brandon Miller removes some of the pop from Charlotte's scoring capabilities. Additionally, the bevy of injuries throughout the Hornets lineup should call some players of lesser caliber into action, again playing in Miami's favor. The fact that the Heat are playing at home acts as the cherry on top.
The best pick on the board is the Miami spread, but the under is also worth a look. The fact that the over has been good to both of these teams has juiced the line a little too much to pass up.
