Heat vs. Hornets odds, prediction, time: 2026 NBA Play-In Tournament picks, April 14 best bets by proven model

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The Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets look to extend their seasons when they meet in a 2026 NBA Play-In Tournament matchup on Tuesday night. The winner will play the loser of Wednesday's Magic-76ers matchup for the eighth seed on Friday, while the loser is eliminated. Miami won the season series 3-1, but Charlotte won the most recent game, 136-106 on March 17. The Heat (43-39), who were fourth in the Southeast Division, are 17-24 on the road this season. The Hornets (44-38), who finished third in the Southeast, are 21-20 on their home court.

Tipoff from Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. The Heat lead the all-time series 83-50, and have won 10 of the last 12 meetings. Charlotte is a 5.5-point favorite in the latest Heat vs. Hornets odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 227.5. Before making any Heat vs. Hornets picks, check out the Heat vs. Hornets predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

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The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past eight-plus seasons. The model entered the 2026 NBA playoffs on a sizzling 23-9 roll (72%) on top-rated NBA spread picks this season. Anyone following its NBA betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.

Now, the model has simulated Heat vs. Hornets 10,000 times and just revealed its coveted NBA picks and betting predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several NBA odds and NBA betting lines for Hornets vs. Heat:

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Top Heat vs. Hornets predictions

After 10,000 simulations of Heat vs. Hornets, SportsLine's model is going Over on the total (227.5). The Over has hit in five of the last six head-to-head matchups. The Over has also hit in seven of the past 10 Miami games, and in 24 of 41 road games this season. The Over has also hit in two of Charlotte's last three home games.

The SportsLine model is projecting the Heat to have six players scoring 10.6 or more points, led by Bam Adebayo's 20.9 points. LaMelo Ball is projected to lead the Hornets with 24.6 points scored, while five Charlotte players are projected to score more than 10.5 points. The teams are projected to combine for 237 total points, making the Over the value play. See the spread pick at SportsLine.

How to make Hornets vs. Heat picks

After simulating each possession 10,000 times, the model also says one side of the spread hits nearly 60% of the time. You can head to SportsLine to see the model's NBA picks.

So who wins Heat vs. Hornets, and which side of the spread hits nearly 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Heat vs. Hornets spread to back, all from the model that has returned well over $10,000 on top-rated NBA picks, and find out.