The Charlotte Hornets will visit the Miami Heat on Friday night in an NBA Cup group stage matchup from Kaseya Center. This is the first group stage game for both of these teams during this year’s cup competition and both teams will try to get off to a strong start against their division rivals. Here, I take a closer look at this Friday night matchup in the NBA and give you my Hornets vs Heat prediction.
Our Hornets vs Heat Pick
- Pick: Miami Heat −4.5
- Confidence: 2/5
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Charlotte Hornets @ Miami Heat
- Date & Time: Friday, November 7, 2025, 8:00 p.m. ET
- Venue: Kaseya Center, Miami, Florida
- Broadcast: NBA League Pass
Key Storylines
Miami enters at 4‑4 and have lost three of their last four games. Their latest loss to the Denver Nuggets was a devastating blow. Not only did the Heat lose that game on the road but they also lost All-Star big Bam Adebayo to an injury. Adebayo is listed as out for this game and the Heat will have to find a way to replace his considerable production.
The Hornets remain shorthanded as well. Key names such as Brandon Miller (shoulder) are out of action and LaMelo Ball (ankle) is listed as day‑to‑day. Ball is the engine of Charlotte’s offense and the Hornets would love for him to be able to suit up in this contest.
Charlotte is 3-5 so far this season and they have lost four of their last five games. Their last outing was a 116-112 loss on the road to the New Orleans Pelicans. New Orleans was without the injured Zion Williamson in that game, making that an alarming loss for the Hornets. They will try to rebound in this contest no matter who they have available to play for them.
Head‑to‑Head & Betting Trends
- Miami defeated Charlotte 144-117 in their first meeting of the regular-season.
- The Heat are 2-0 at home so far this season.
- Charlotte is 1-3 on the road to begin the year.
- Miami is 5-3 against the spread going into this game.
- Charlotte enters Friday night at 4-4 against the spread.
- The Hornets are also 4-4 on over/unders this season.
- The Heat have gone over the total in five of eight games.
Best Player Props to Watch
| Player | Prop |
|---|---|
| LaMelo Ball (Charlotte Hornets) | Over 23.5 points (if he plays) |
| Kel’El Ware (Miami Heat) | Over 13.5 points |
Hornets vs Heat Model Projection
Score Projection: Miami Heat 126 – Charlotte Hornets 118
Win Probability: Miami Heat 72%, Charlotte Hornets 28%
Final Thoughts
Both of these teams are banged up and it’s tough to know what to expect from either of them. But I am going to take the Miami Heat to win and cover the spread on their home floor. Ware played admirably in the place of Adebayo when Adebayo went down in Denver earlier in the week. I’m expecting a nice game from him and for the Heat to do enough to cover the number on their home floor in this NBA Cup contest.
