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The New York Knicks and Charlotte Hornets will play in an Eastern Conference matchup on Friday night. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Knicks-Hornets prediction and pick.
The Knicks and Hornets will meet on Friday as a pair of teams who are looking to turn things back in the right direction. New York has lost four of its last six games, while the Hornets have lost five of their last six. Charlotte returns home to North Carolina after a five game road trip in which they had a 1-4 record, so their home floor will surely be a welcome sight. The Knicks are 5-1 on the road this season, so they will look to continue to boost their road record on Friday night vs. the Hornets as slim favorites.
Here's how bookmakers have set the Knicks-Hornets odds for this Friday night matchup.
NBA Odds: Knicks-Hornets Odds
New York Knicks -1.5 (-110)
Charlotte Hornets +1.5 (-11o)
Over 223.5 points (-110)
Under 223.5 points (-110)
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Why The Knicks Can Cover The Spread
The Knicks have been an average team so far this season, ranking 15th in the NBA in net rating through 12 games. What is surprising is that after being a top-5 defensive team last season, New York ranks just 26th in defensive rating in 2021-22. The drop in defensive efficiency is obviously somewhat about personnel, as the additions of Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier have helped the offense but hurt the defense. The Knicks rank fifth in offensive rating this season, scoring more than 111 points per 100 possessions.
Charlotte has had one of, if not the worst defense in the NBA so far this season. New York has a good chance to cover and win Friday as slim favorites if they can just play a little defense, as their offense should be primed for a good night vs. a weak Hornets defense.
Why The Hornets Can Cover The Spread
While the Hornets can be electric offensively behind LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, they have been equally underwhelming defensively. Charlotte ranks 28th in defensive rating, essentially in a three-way tie for worst defense to this point with the New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies. The Hornets have been able to be an average team so far this season due to their offense, which ranks seventh in efficiency. If the Hornets are going to win as slight underdogs on Friday, they'll need to be clicking offensively vs. a good Knicks attack. Defense might not be all that present in this contest on either side, so whichever team plays the cleaner offensive game may come out on top.
Final Knicks-Hornets Prediction & Pick
Take the over in this spot, as both the Knicks and Hornets rank in the bottom five in the NBA in defensive efficiency so far this season.
FINAL KNICKS-HORNETS PREDICTION & PICK: Over 223.5 (-110)
