Our 76ers vs Hornets prediction starts with an availability question rather than a matchup one. Philadelphia (5-1) visits Charlotte (3-3) on Saturday, one night after beating the Knicks, so this is the second night of a back-to-back for both clubs. The 76ers are short 1.5-point road favorites with the total at 215.5. Nearly every spread ticket sits on Philadelphia, yet the number has not moved. That combination, plus the way the Sixers handled their first back-to-back, shapes both of the plays below.
Last Updated: October 31, 2026
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Charlotte Hornets — Time and How to Watch
| Where | Spectrum Center, Charlotte NC |
| When | October 31 – 6:00 PM ET |
| TV | NBA TV |
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Charlotte Hornets Betting Preview
Availability comes first, and it is unresolved. Jaylen Brown sat out Friday’s win over the Knicks with left knee soreness after feeling it following the win in Indiana. Nick Nurse offered no timeline. Jabari Walker (knee), Tacko Fall (quad) and Dominick Barlow (back) also missed Friday, and Ariel Hukporti is out for the season with a torn Achilles.
The bigger question is Joel Embiid. He and LeBron James both played Friday, and Embiid has not played both ends of a back-to-back in years. Last weekend the Sixers split the pair. James sat the first night against Milwaukee, and Embiid sat the second night against Detroit for plantar fasciitis management. No status for Saturday had been announced at publication, so treat every read below as provisional on Embiid.
Charlotte is shorthanded too. Kon Knueppel (hamstring), Coby White (calf) and Kylan Boswell (knee) are out. Grant Williams (hamstring) missed Friday and carries a day-to-day tag. The Hornets also played Friday, losing 95-79 at Washington, so neither side holds a rest edge.
The style contrast is stark. Through five games, Philadelphia played at the league’s fifth-fastest pace (103.7) with the third-best defensive rating (103.5), according to Basketball Reference’s 76ers team page. Its offense ranked 25th at 106.8. Charlotte played the 29th-slowest pace (96.9) with a 104.2 offensive rating, 29th in the league. Tyrese Maxey leads the Sixers at 28.2 points per game, while Brandon Miller carries the Hornets at 24.5.
The supporting casts matter more than usual on a back-to-back. For Philadelphia, Embiid averages 19.2 points and 9.4 rebounds, and James adds 16.4 points with 7.0 assists. Anfernee Simons added 21 points and five threes against the Knicks. Charlotte leans on Naz Reid (16.2 points, 9.2 rebounds) and Grayson Allen (13.5 points) behind Miller. Moussa Diabate grabs 9.8 rebounds per game, seventh in the league.
The glass is Charlotte’s one clear edge. The Hornets rank fourth in rebounding at 48.7 per game and win the boards by 7.2 per night. Philadelphia ranks 25th at 41.7 and has been outrebounded by 9.5 per game. Charlotte also pulls down more than 15 offensive rebounds per game. Those second chances give a poor shooting team a path to stay close, especially in a slow game.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Charlotte Hornets Odds
| Spread | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 76ers | -1.5 (-110) | -120 | O 215.5 (-110) |
| Hornets | +1.5 (-110) | +100 | U 215.5 (-110) |
Odds accurate as of October 31, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latestNBA Odds –Futures –Props
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Charlotte Hornets — Who Is the Public Betting?
| 76ers | 98% | 2% | Hornets |
See the latest NBA Public Betting Splits and make smarter wagers!
76ers vs. Hornets Prediction — What Happens When a Top-Five Pace Meets the 29th?
Pace usually drives a total, but efficiency decides what those trips produce. Here, both offenses rank in the bottom six by rating. Charlotte has been the league’s least efficient attack, and its last two outings explain why. The Hornets scored 89 at Detroit and then shot 29.7% from the field in a 95-79 loss at Washington. Their 81 against Atlanta and 79 on Friday are the two lowest team scores in the NBA this season.
Philadelphia’s defense compounds the problem. The Sixers allow 105.0 points per game, third-fewest in the league, and they commit roughly five fewer turnovers per game than Charlotte. Fewer live-ball turnovers mean fewer easy runouts for a Hornets team that cannot score in the half court. Meanwhile, a likely Embiid absence would also remove a 19.2-point scorer from an offense that already ranks 25th. The market agrees with the direction. The total opened at 216.5 and has dropped a full point.
The case against is real, however. Charlotte launches more than 45 threes per game and is hitting just 28.7% of them. That percentage is unlikely to hold, and attempt rate is the stickier number. On 45 attempts, every four-point bump in that percentage is worth nearly two more made threes. Philadelphia’s top-five pace also creates extra possessions. Still, two bottom-six offenses meet on the second night of back-to-backs. Add a market move in the same direction, and this is the strongest read on the board.
The Pick: Under 215.5 (-110)
76ers vs. Hornets Prediction — Will Embiid Make It Two Nights in a Row?
On paper, a 5-1 team with a positive net rating should be laying more than 1.5 points against a 3-3 team with a negative one. The number is short for a reason, and the schedule is the likeliest explanation. Philadelphia’s own pattern points toward resting Embiid, and Brown’s knee remains a question. The market behavior backs that up. With 98% of spread tickets on the Sixers, the line has stayed frozen at its opening number. A price that will not move under lopsided one-way action is often a quiet signal toward the other side.
The case for Philadelphia is still strong. Maxey ranks third in the league in scoring, and James posted 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists Friday. Meanwhile, Charlotte’s offense is the worst in the league by rating. If Embiid plays, this number is too short. This pick rests on the same Embiid input as the total, so the two are not independent. At -110, it needs a 52.4% hit rate. If Embiid sits, as he did on the second night last weekend, the Hornets clear that bar as a lean rather than a strong play.
The Pick: Hornets +1.5 (-110)
Our Final Word on 76ers vs. Hornets
Both teams are in the same schedule spot, so availability decides this game. Most of Charlotte’s absences are long-term, so the late news that matters sits on Philadelphia’s side. Watch the Sixers’ injury report before tip-off. An Embiid return strengthens Philadelphia’s side but does little to change the scoring outlook for Charlotte’s struggling offense. For more context on each team’s last outing, see our 76ers vs. Pacers prediction and Hornets vs. Pistons prediction from Wednesday.
Under 215.5 (-110) is the top play because two bottom-six offenses meet on short rest and the total has already dropped from 216.5. Hornets +1.5 (-110) follows because the spread has refused to move despite 98% of tickets landing on a Philadelphia team likely to be shorthanded.
NBA 76ers vs. Hornets FAQ: October 31, 2026
What time does the 76ers vs. Hornets game start?
The Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Hornets tip off at 6:00 PM ET on Saturday, October 31, 2026. It is the second game in two nights for both teams, after the 76ers beat the Knicks and the Hornets lost at Washington on Friday.
What channel is the 76ers vs. Hornets game on?
The 76ers vs. Hornets game airs on NBA TV, with tip-off from Spectrum Center in Charlotte set for 6:00 PM ET on Saturday, October 31. Fans can tune in on NBA TV for the full broadcast as Philadelphia plays the second night of a back-to-back on the road.
Where are the 76ers and Hornets playing?
The game is at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, the home arena of the Hornets. Philadelphia is playing on the road one night after hosting the Knicks in an NBA Cup game. Charlotte, meanwhile, returns home after Friday’s NBA Cup loss in Washington.
What is the 76ers’ record this season?
The Philadelphia 76ers are 5-1 this season. Their lone loss came at home against Detroit on October 25, and they enter Saturday on a two-game winning streak after a 114-109 win at Indiana and a 98-93 win over the Knicks.
What is the Hornets’ record this season?
The Charlotte Hornets are 3-3 this season. They have lost two straight games, falling 97-89 on the road at Detroit on Wednesday and 95-79 at Washington on Friday, after consecutive home wins over Miami last Saturday and Washington on Monday.