Charlotte has a little work to do if it plans on having any shot at a December trip to Las Vegas, site of the tournament’s championship game for the second straight year. A 114-89 loss to the Magic in a East Group A matchup at Kia Center means the Hornets will have to dig out of a hole to advance out of pool play.

Analyzing Tuesday’s Charlotte Hornets at Orlando Magic odds and lines, with NBA expert picks, predictions and best bets.

With young talent and a first-time head coach looking to make his mark, are the Hornets enough to create issues for the Magic on Tuesday night?

The court inside Kia Center might have looked different than usual for Orlando‘s first NBA Cup group play matchup against the Hornets — it was light gray with a large gold trophy in the center and a blue outline — but the Magic‘s pathway to victory looked much the same Tuesday night as it did in their last two.

The Magic are looking to close out a perfect homestand with a fifth consecutive victory, coming in from back-to-back victories over the Charlotte Hornets and Indiana Pacers on Tuesday and Wednesday. They're 7-6 on the year, 6-0 at the Kia Center and atop their NBA Cup group.

The Kia Center court might have looked different than usual for Orlando‘s first NBA Cup group play matchup against the Hornets — it was light grey with a large gold trophy in the center and a blue outline — but the Magic‘s pathway to victory looked much the same Tuesday night as it did in their last two.

Orlando continued to build on their already sizeable lead in the closing minutes, as point differential can be crucial to advance out of the NBA Cup group stage. If you want to learn more about how the in-season tournament works,