Tonight's matchup between the New York Knicks and Charlotte Hornets pits two teams headed in opposite directions. The Knicks enter the game on a nine-game winning streak, while the Hornets are looking to improve their draft position with a depleted roster.
From the Knicks' dominant recent form to Charlotte's struggling offense, this game could get out of hand.
Find out your best options with our free NBA betting picks and predictions for the Knicks vs. Hornets tonight.
Hornets vs Knicks best odds
Hornets vs Knicks picks and predictions
R.J. Barrett is poised to have a big night against the Charlotte Hornets. Despite some inconsistencies in his game, there are several reasons to believe that Barrett will top his points total tonight.
First and foremost, Barrett has historically played well against the Hornets. In fact, in his last four games against Charlotte, he’s averaged an impressive 25.7 points per game. This suggests that he has a good understanding of how to attack its defense and is comfortable playing against it.
The Hornets are particularly weak against small forwards, giving up an average of 22.93 points per game to the position, which is the fourth-most in the entire NBA. Barrett could take advantage of this weakness and put up some big numbers.
It’s also worth noting that Barrett is coming off of a strong performance in his last game against the Celtics, where he scored 29 points against a top-rated defense. He was in good form and could carry that momentum into tonight’s game.
While Barrett has been criticized for his inconsistency this season, he’s still averaging over 19 points per game. This shows that even on his worst nights, he’s still a threat to score in bunches. If he can find his rhythm early on, he could easily surpass the 20-point mark tonight.
There are several reasons to believe that Barrett will score Over 20.5 points tonight against the Hornets. His history of strong performances against them, their lack of investment in winning this game, and their weakness against small forwards all suggest that he could have a big night.
My best bet: R.J. Barrett Over 20.5 points (-110)
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Hornets vs Knicks spread analysis
The Knicks are heavily favored, with a spread of 9.5 points, in tonight's game against the Hornets, and for good reason. The Knicks have been on a hot streak, winning their last nine games in a row, and have a record of 29-15 since December 1, which is among the Top 4 in the NBA.
The Hornets are missing their star player LaMelo Ball, and are not focused on winning games at this point in the season.
The Knicks also have a history of covering the spread when they score above a certain amount of points. When they score more than the Hornets' average of 117.9 points per game, they have a record of 18-10 against the spread and 19-9 overall. Additionally, with Jalen Brunson out, Immanuel Quickly dominated in Sunday night's game against the Celtics, scoring an impressive 38 points.
Given the Hornets' scoring average of 111.8 points per game and the Knicks' records of 28-2-1 against the spread and 28-3 overall when they give up fewer than 111.8 points, they should cover the spread tonight.
Hornets vs Knicks Over/Under analysis
The total for tonight's game is set at 226, which could be a challenge to predict. With Charlotte being a depleted team that is focused on improving its draft position, it's possible that the Knicks' defense could completely overpower their offense. However, the Knicks are also the third-ranked offense in the NBA and could score a lot of points against a Charlotte team that gives up an average of 117.9 points per game.
Despite the Knicks' strong offense, it's worth noting that Charlotte has the 30th-ranked offensive rating in the league and ranks last in true shooting percentage. This suggests that the Hornets may struggle to score against the Knicks' defense, however, if the Knicks do end up scoring a lot of points, it's possible that the total could go Over anyway.
Ultimately, it's difficult to determine where the total will land by the end of the game.
Hornets vs Knicks betting trend to know
The Under is 5-0 in the Hornets’ last five when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game. Find more NBA betting trends for Hornets vs. Knicks.
Hornets vs Knicks game info
| Location: | Madison Square Garden, New York, NY |
| Date: | Tuesday, March 7, 2023 |
| Tip-off: | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | Bally Sports Southeast-CHA, MSG |
