Bryan Armetta shares his preview, prediction and pick for Wednesday’s game between the Charlotte Hornets and the New York Knicks.
Following a disappointing loss in Boston, the Knicks will attempt to bounce back at home tonight. Awaiting New York is a Hornets squad loaded with plenty of intriguing young talent. However, Charlotte’s record is only 6-15 this season.
Can the young Hornets earn an upset on the road? Below is my preview, prediction and pick for Wednesday’s game between the Charlotte Hornets and the New York Knicks.
The Knicks are 8.5-point favorites (-112) over the Hornets on DraftKings Sportsbook. New York is favored at -355 on the moneyline. The total is set at 235.5 points.
Hornets vs. Knicks prediction, preview
These two squads met last week in Charlotte, a 129-101 blowout in favor of the Knicks. However, New York enters this one on the second leg of a back-to-back, following a disappointing defeat vs. Boston. Still, the Bockers are a much better team at home (10-1) than they are on the road (3-6). Tuesday’s defeat was made more shocking by the lackluster play of Jalen Brunson (15 points on 29% shooting). However, the guard has been excellent for most of the season. Through 18 games, he’s averaging 27.7 points and 6.5 assists on 47% shooting from the field (36% 3PT).
Brunson is joined by one of the NBA’s best supporting casts. Big man Karl-Anthony Towns remains one of the association’s best centers, putting up 22.1 points, 11.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges give the Knicks a versatile pair of wing defenders. The latter of the two has been on fire recently, including a 35-point outing last night against the Celtics. In six of Bridges’ previous eight appearances, he’s notched at least 16 points. That includes last week’s meeting with the Hornets. Charlotte has surrendered the seventh-most points (120.0) and tenth-most three-pointers (13.9) to opponents this season.
Since losing to New York, Charlotte has won two of its previous three games. However, both of those came inside the friendly confines of the Spectrum Center. A road loss on Monday to the woeful Nets should temper expectations for this inexperienced roster. Regardless, there’s plenty of talent on the floor for the Hornets. Rookie of the Year candidate Kon Kneuppel has turned heads, posting 18.7 points on 46/42/90 shooting splits. Guard LaMelo Ball is a bit of an enigma, but undeniably talented. This season, the 24-year-old is averaging 18.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game. However, he’s accounted for dismal 38/28/88 shooting splits.
One big name that won’t suit up for Charlotte is Brandon Miller, sidelined with a shoulder injury. When these teams met last week, the wing delivered 18 points. If the Hornets are going to have any shot tonight, they’ll need to exploit New York’s biggest weakness: perimeter defense. Opponents are knocking down 14.9 treys per game against the Knicks, fourth-worst in basketball. That issue has only been amplified in the absence of OG Anunoby (hamstring). Last Wednesday, Charlotte only drained 13 of its 43 attempts from beyond the arc (30%).
Hornets vs. Knicks pick, best bet
On a back-to-back, it’s fair to expect some rust from New York. However, the Hornets have gone just 1-9 on the road this season. In comparison, the Knicks are dominant when playing under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden. Charlotte, without Brandon Miller, is at a disadvantage already. Going into a hostile environment, it’s difficult to expect a great effort from the visitors tonight.