Knicks Game Tonight: Knicks vs Hornets Odds, Starting Lineup, Injury Report, Predictions, TV Channel for Dec. 9
By James Ryder
The New York Knicks (12-13) will travel to North Carolina to take on the Charlotte Hornets (7-18). Despite them leaving their home city after playing in MSG on Wednesday, the Knicks are not starting a multiple-game road trip; this will be the lone away game for New York this week.
Speaking of that last game on Wednesday, the Knicks defeated the Atlanta Hawks, 113-89, for their second straight win. It was also the second straight game in which they gave up less than 90 points to their opponent. Before last Sunday’s victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York had given up less than 100 points only once (also when playing the Hawks on Nov. 2). Now, they’ve given up less than 90 twice in just one week.
Neither the Hawks nor the Cavaliers were making their open looks, let alone any other shot. But the Knicks’ defense still deserves a lot of credit and it is mostly thanks to the recent play of Quentin Grimes and Miles “Deuce” McBride.
McBride was inserted into the rotation to takeover Derrick Rose’s minutes against the Cavaliers. He and Grimes, along with Immanuel Quickley, do such an incredible job playing defense on the perimeter. They stay in front of their man, get around screens fast, fly around the court in their rotations, and they are all exceptional point-of-attack defenders. The perimeter defense was a big point of weakness for the Knicks before the last few games, so if they can keep this up then the Hornets will have problems on offense besides being 25th in PPG.
And speaking of the Hornets, they are coming off of a 122-116 defeat to the Brooklyn Nets, their third straight loss. They are 3-7 in their last 10 games. Charlotte has been without Dennis Smith Jr. and Gordon Hayward since Nov. 23 (their last seven games) and without All-Star LaMelo Ball since Nov. 16.
New York Knicks vs Charlotte Hornets Odds, Spread, Over/Under
The latest odds from FanDuel Sportsbook have the Knicks as the -3 favorite with the team -110 to cover. New York is -156 on the moneyline and Charlotte is +132. The over/under is set for 224 points.
Knicks Projected Starting Lineup Tonight
- Jalen Brunson
- Quentin Grimes
- RJ Barrett
- Julius Randle
- Mitchell Robinson
Knicks Injury Report
Obi Toppin (knee) is out after getting injured in Wednesday’s win over Atlanta. He’ll be re-evaluated in two to three weeks. Ryan Arcidiacono (ankle) remains out.
New York Knicks vs Charlotte Hornets Prediction
The Hornets give up 115.4 points per game (20th in the NBA). Therefore, the Knicks shouldn’t have too hard of a time scoring as long as they aren’t holding themselves back. I’m looking at you, RJ Barrett.
I think the perimeter defense will hold up, but it won’t necessarily be the thing that wins New York this game. The Knicks will need to protect the rim, which shouldn’t be difficult if the Hornets can’t even get past the perimeter defenders, but the point remains. The Hornets don’t deploy much shooting talent, so expect most of the damage they do to come inside the arc and at the rim. If Julius Randle plays like he did against Atlanta (34 points) along with an expected bounce-back game for Jalen Brunson, then the Knicks shouldn’t have a problem matching their opponent in a two-point contest.
This is a Hornets team that is not only missing their best player and two key contributors, but they aren’t a very intimidating team to begin with. Combine that with the recent play of the Knicks and that likely means New York will come out victorious.
New York 118, Charlotte 100
What channel is the New York Knicks game on?
New York-Charlotte begins at 7 p.m. ET and can be viewed on MSG Network.
New York Knicks vs Charlotte Hornets Live Stream
If you’re looking for a live stream, head over to fuboTV for a free trial.
Knicks Next Game and Upcoming Schedule
The Knicks will return home for one game and will follow that up with a brief three-game road trip in the Mideast.
Dec. 11 vs. Sacramento
Dec. 14 at Chicago
Dec. 16 at Chicago
Dec. 18 at Indiana
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.