Struggling Eastern Conference squads meet for the second time in two weeks on Monday night, as the Cleveland Cavaliers host the Charlotte Hornets at Rocket Arena.
The Hornets (9–19, 12th East) have slowly picked up steam, winning five of their last ten games and two of their last three. The Cavs (15–14, 7th East) have failed to meet expectations early on, losing eight of their last 11 and aiming to snap a three-game slide — which began with a home loss to Charlotte on Dec. 14.
Here’s a look at the Injury Report:
Charlotte Hornets
- Out: Grant Williams (Knee), Collin Sexton (Quad), Ryan Kalkbrenner (Elbow)
Cleveland Cavaliers
- Out: Evan Mobley (Calf), Larry Nance Jr. (Calf), Max Strus (Foot)
- Probable: Donovan Mitchell (Illness), Sam Merrill (Hand), Craig Porter Jr. (Illness)
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET. Cleveland enters as a 9.5-point home favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while Charlotte is listed as a +310 underdog. The game’s total is set at 238.5 points.
Hornets vs. Cavaliers Preview
Charlotte Hornets Preview
While you wouldn’t typically find the words “Hornets” and “optimism” in the same sentence, Charlotte has rattled off five wins in its last ten games to give fans a rare dose of hope for the future.
During that stretch, the Hornets have shown strong ball movement and a formidable defense, ranking seventh league-wide in defensive rating. Leading the charge has been standout rookie Kon Knueppel, who’s averaging 20.7 points, 5.1 assists, and 4.9 rebounds while shooting just a hair below 40% from deep over his last ten.
The fourth overall pick out of Duke has scored 28-plus in three of his last four outings, erupting for 29 to lift the Hornets to an overtime upset in Cleveland on Dec. 14 — taking down the Cavs without star guard LaMelo Ball, who’s listed as available for Monday’s contest.
Cleveland Cavaliers Preview
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Not even 30 games into the 2025-26 campaign, the defending Eastern Conference regular-season champs are already four losses away from matching last season’s total (18).
The Cavaliers have unraveled this season, a slide intensified by the recent sidelining of reigning Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley. Cleveland has lost eight of its last 11 games, including three straight, capped by an 11-point thumping against the mediocre Chicago Bulls at home.
Star guard Donovan Mitchell — who ranks fourth in the NBA in scoring with 30.7 points per game — has remained productive but stands as the lone bright spot on a Cavs team that has struggled on both ends of the floor over their last 11 games. Cleveland’s defense has been spotty at best, while its perimeter-focused offense has shot a miserable 31.8% from deep, the worst mark in the NBA.
Hornets vs. Cavaliers Pick, Best Bet
The Hornets staged an upset in Cleveland just over a week ago and will return to The Land with reinforcements in the backcourt. The Cavs, meanwhile, remain short-staffed amid their ongoing spiral. Another upset (+310) isn’t out of the question, but Charlotte staying competitive and covering the generous 9.5-point spread feels far more likely on Monday night.
