Hornets vs. Cavaliers NBA expert prediction and odds for Sunday, April 14 (Bet on Cleveland)

The Cleveland Cavaliers have a chance to get the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference depending upon the results of Sunday’s games, but it all starts with them having to take down the Charlotte Hornets.

Charlotte barely played its starters in a blowout loss to Boston on Friday, so Cleveland is a massive favorite at home in this game. 

Here’s how the Cavs can earn the No. 2 seed: 

If Cleveland wins and both the New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks lose, the Cavs would have the tiebreaker over Milwaukee for the division. Since all three teams would have the same record, that would take precedence over the season-long tiebreaker. So, the playoffs would look like:

• Cavs – No. 2
• Bucks – No. 3
• Knicks – No. 4

Can Donovan Mitchell and company take care of business? 

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Here’s a look at the latest odds and my best bet in this game: 

Hornets vs. Cavaliers odds, spread and total

Hornets vs. Cavaliers how to watch

• Date: Sunday, April 14
• Time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
• How to watch (TV): Bally Sports
• Hornets record: 20-61
• Cavs record: 48-33

Hornets vs. Cavaliers key players to watch

Charlotte Hornets

Brandon Miller: It’ll be interesting to see how much or if Miller plays after the team limited him to just 13:38 against the Boston Celtics on Friday. This season, the rookie forward is averaging 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. 

Cleveland Cavaliers

Donovan Mitchell: The All-Star guard seems to be finding his form again, scoring 29 and 33 points in the last two games for the Cavs. Mitchell was off to a slow start after he returned from a knee injury, but he’s shot 9-for-17 and 12-for-27 the last two games. 

Hornets vs. Cavaliers prediction and pick

This is a must bet for the Cavs, who have a ton to gain if they win this game.

Charlotte’s starters barely played in a 30-plus point loss to Boston’s bench, and the Hornets are better off losing this game to guarantee a 14 percent chance at the No. 1 pick in the draft in the NBA’s Draft Lottery. 

Cleveland has struggled as a home favorite this season (14-16-1 against the spread), but the Hornets are the second worst team in the league as road underdogs, going 13-26 ATS on the season.

With so much at stake, I have to back the Cavs to cover this massive number. 

Pick: Cavs -16 (-110)

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.