Charlotte Hornets vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction & Preview – 12/22/2025

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Charlotte Hornets will square off on Monday night in the first game on the NBA schedule for the night. The Cavs have been struggling to meet expectations and are hoping to end a three-game losing streak, while the Hornets are trying to build momentum with key players returning. This preview breaks down recent trends, injuries, and betting information to help you make a confident pick before tip-off. If you want my Cavaliers vs Hornets prediction, you’ve come to the right place.

Our Cavaliers vs Hornets Pick

Game Snapshot

• Matchup: Charlotte Hornets @ Cleveland Cavaliers
• Date & Time: Monday, December 22, 2025, 7:00 PM ET
• Venue: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, Ohio
• Broadcast: Peacock

Key Storylines

• The Cavaliers have gone 15-14 overall and are 3-7 in their last 10 games. They are searching for consistency as key players fight through injury issues heading into this matchup. Cleveland has dropped three straight games and find themselves outside the top six in the East going into this matchup.
• Cleveland could receive a boost with Donovan Mitchell probable after missing the last game due to illness. Sam Merrill and Craig Porter Jr. are also likely to return to the rotation. However, the Cavs remain without Evan Mobley, Larry Nance Jr., and Max Strus due to injuries, impacting their depth and defense.
• Charlotte sits at 9-19 and is coming off a blowout loss to Detroit. Charlotte did recently beat Atlanta behind a strong performance from LaMelo Ball, who scored 28 points with 13 assists in his return from injury. The Hornets will hope that the return of Ball helps them bounce back in this game.
• The Hornets have struggled most of the season, though they beat Cleveland in overtime earlier in December, and have shown potential when they can get efficient shooting out of rookie Kon Knueppel to help Ball and Brandon Miller.

Head-to-Head & Betting Trends

• The Hornets won the first game of the season between these teams by a score of 119-111 in overtime.
• Cleveland is an NBA-worst 8-21 against the spread this season.
• Charlotte is 14-14 against the spread going into this matchup.
• The under has hit in 18 of the Hornets’ 28 games.
• Cleveland has seen 16 of their 29 games stay under their respective totals.

Best Player Props to Watch

Hornets vs Cavaliers Model Projection

Final Thoughts

Jay Sanin

Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.