New York Knicks vs. Charlotte Hornets: Prediction and betting odds

The New York Knicks head into a big Eastern Conference clash on Friday night as they travel to Charlotte to take on the Hornets.

New York is coming off of a loss to the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks while the Hornets are coming off of an impressive win against the Memphis Grizzlies.

For the Knicks, this is an important game for them to maintain their winning record and status in the East.

New York Knicks vs. Charlotte Hornets betting odds

According to WynnBet.com, the Knicks are slight road favorites at -1.5.

The over/under for the game is 224 points. The New York Knicks are a -125 favorite while the Charlotte Hornets are a +105 underdog.

The Hornets offense has put up some numbers as of late. They finished with 123 points against the Lakers at the start of the week and put up 118 on the Grizzlies in their last contest.

The Knicks’ offense has been inconsistent as of late. They’ve put up just 100 and 103 points in their last two games.

New York Knicks vs. Charlotte Hornets prediction

These are two teams looking to establish themselves as playoff contenders in the Eastern Conference. The Hornets have struggled to hang in games and sit at 6-7 on the season, while the Knicks have played up and down to their competition and are currently 7-5.

The Knicks seem to be in a tier above the Hornets and this will be a game for them to show it.

The Hornets don’t have much of a presence in the interior and their overall defense can be highly suspect. This could be a get-right game for the New York Knicks offense.

The frontcourt players, Mitchell Robinson and Julius Randle should have big games.

The Hornets will look to attack the Knicks’ weak 3-point defense. They have plenty of shooters and that’s what’s going to be their key to victory — taking advantage of open looks. Containing LaMelo Ball will be a tall task for New York’s point guards.

This could be a game where the Knicks try to show a little more of the physicality that led to so much success last season against a more finesse Hornets team.

In the end, this should be a close contest throughout but I expect the Knicks to pull away in the 4th quarter and get a much-needed road victory heading into the weekend.